Sam: It’s certainly not I that gets to determine. And definitely one that comes to say there is no daas tarah, has none!!
And before you get to decide what is avoda zara etc. kindly defer to those a bit greater than you!! (whoops, forgot, you don’t hold of it)
And FYI, we do pasken like R. AKIVA ?? ?’ ?’ ???? ?????.. as I wrote before HaShem is telling us to follow. And that in the Gemarah too. He is not telling us to do avodah zara. Or border line. Or whatever else you call it.
And the reason you claim “I find it weird that a fundamental of faith is found nowhere in Shas” (again, you only accept print, no calling on mesorah), is because EVERYONE was loyal to the Chachamim. No one questioned them as some do today. (Why is the Gemarah relating the incident of ??? ????? Only to prove this point).
If you don’t want or care to follow a mesorah, Chachamim, too bad for you. Following some “chachamim” that say not to follow Chachamim? Oh really?!?
We’ll stick with our cherished ???? ????, our leaders, Torah greats, who will guide us through the Galus with their light!!