Your Karma Ran Over My Dogma (Or East/West, Which is Best?)

In many Eastern religious traditions, we are taught that our object on the spiritual path is to transcend and overcome this world...to become “enlightened,” whereas the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Islam, Christianity) teach us that we will never be “good” and must rely on the mercy of God (and follow certain rules). Modern psychology teaches us that in order to change anything we must first come to acceptance. Are these ideas in direct opposition or are they different sides of the same coin?