Traditional should be in subjection to the word of God.
Mathew 7 - Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? ...Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Acts 20:29 As to church history specifically: Paul said: For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
He was right - because: II Timothy 1:15 - This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
Church history is a history full of wolves that turned away from the truth of God's word in favor of other things. This led to crusades and inquisitions etc - to the point where men like Tyndale were burned at the stake for translating the bible so people could read it, where Luther was vilified for teaching "scriptura sola". Church history and tradition should both be in subjection to the word itself. They are certainly not a source for truth. Now, of course I expect a flame response about "fundamentalist" and stone people - All I can say is Christ is the end of the law to all who believe.
I understand that you have intellectual arguements why you believe that what God said - he did not mean. That is your right. I choose to believe that what God said, he meant. I understand figures of speech. I understand that they are at least 212 different types of figures of speech with as many as 240 varieties of a single figure. However, there is no biblical evidence for saying "Babylon=Rome". Sorry I don't conform to your church views.
Clearly the teachings of the apostles are NOT traditions that we are to ignore. And this like many other things were information they passed on.
I think we should perhaps agree to disagree on this topic.