[DannyTN]

"So what? Does that invalidate them somehow (other than in your mind)?"

No it doesn't invalidate them, the rules are not necessarily wrong or false. It's just incomplete. It just doesn't offer purpose for our being here. It's no more invalid or false that Amy Vanderbilt's guide to etiquette, but it doesn't answer the big questions of"why are we here?", "what is our purpose?, "is there life after death?", "if so then what?"

Religions that are nothing more than lifestyle rules don't even attempt to answer those questions. The Eastern Religions do but do so in a way that I find them irrelevant.

[DannyTN]

Let's look at a comparison of those questions"

1. "why are we here?",
2. "what is our purpose?,
3. "is there life after death?",
4. "if so then what?"
5. Sin

Atheism

1. We are here by random chance and are nothing more than advanced chemical reactions.
2. We have no purpose. What purpose we have, we define for ourselves.
3. No life after death
4. No life after death
5. There is no such thing as sin or good and evil. There is only what is.

Confusionism, Jack and the Texas Statues, Other Lifestyle religions.

1. We don't know why we are here.
2. We don't know if we have a purpose, but here is some good rules on how to live.
3. We don't think there is life after death.
4. Sin, there is good and evil, it has repercussions in this life, so just don't do it.

Hindu, Buddist, Eastern Religions

1. We are here because of our desires.
2. We don't have a purpose, our goal is to cease to be, and merge back in with the cosmic soul. Quit having desires!
3. There is life after death, but it's a bad thing. It means you didn't quit having desires and therefore continue to life.
4. After death: No soup for you! You cease as an individual, but the cosmic soul will go on for ever.
5. Sin, is illusionary, the really bad thing is that you desire anything at all.

Judiasm, Christianity

1. We are here because God created us and desires a one-to-one intimate relationship with us.
2. Our purpose is to serve God, to love God, to love others and to be friends with God.
3. There is life after death.
4. Either you are forgiven and continue in companioinship and serving God through eternity, or you are judged by your works and found not righteous and suffer the "second death".
5. Sin, there is good and evil. Evil separates you from God and stops your fellowship. The penalty for sin is death both physical and spiritual. Evil will cause you to be judged in righteous anger both for the wrong things you did and the good that you didn't do. God however took it upon Himself to pay the penalty for your sin, so that forgiveness is available.

Islam

1. We were created by Allah.
2. We are to serve Allah by taking over the world and implementing a world Islamic government. We are not to be companions to Allah, Allah is unknowable.
3. There is life after death, especially if you fight infidels and become martyred doing so. Too bad for you if you become comtaminated with pigs though.
4. Sin, there is good and evil. People will be judged according to the balance of good and evil in their lives, unless they are martyred or become contaminated with pigs.

[DannyTN]

Post 192 is a comparison of the major religions including atheism.