Modernism with a side of Traditionalism?

Okay, so I don't know much about either of the views of religion that we are debating this week.  So I am going to define what I think these mean, and go with it from there.  I think of traditionalism as a literal translation of something, and modernism as an individual's interpreted view of that same thing.  I suppose since we are talking about religion, that something would be the Bible or some other holy book.  Oh, I guess I should give you my religious background, since I wasn't here in the beginning when you all posted about it.

I'm a Mormon.  My entire family is Mormon, and I grew up surrounded by church and other religious things.  That being said, I'm not a very strict Mormon.  I do most of what they say, like not drinking or smoking or stealing, because I don't have an overwhelming need to do those things.  I can come up with non-Mormon related reasons just as easy for most of the things I do or don't do.  However, I don't agree with many of the viewpoints that the Mormon church has that have to relate to other people.  I am definitely all for non-hetero marriage and other things of that nature, and the Mormon church is, well, not.  For the most part.

Anyways, enough about me.  On to traditionalism vs. modernism in religion.  Mormons are generally traditionalist in their views, I think.  They really like quoting scriptures and talking about what they mean in context and how they apply to a person's life.  They tend to allow individuals to come to their own conclusion on how they want to apply something personally, but they definitely have a decisive idea on what the particular scripture means and how you are supposed to follow it.  So, I can understand the point of a traditionalist view on religion even if I don't generally follow it.

I am (relatively) open-minded, and I don't care much how other people decide to follow the rules set down in their holy book of choice (or no book).  Unless it's screwing their life up.  But, that's not on topic.  I think a person should have enough good judgement to have the ability to decide for themselves what is right, wrong, and which one they are going to choose.  Consequences will generally follow, but they should be able to at least know what they are doing and how it should affect them.  Now, there are exceptions to everything, but that would take way too long to cover, and I am already rambling.

Okay, to wrap up, since I'm not sure I actually made any sense in this post.  I think most people try to have a more modernism view, because then they can have a more flexible set of rules to follow and decide how much they want those rules to have an impact in their life.  This topic required a lot of thought and rambling, so I hope you all got something out of it.  Kathleen will post tomorrow, and I can't wait to hear what everyone else has to say on this topic.