There’s some really interesting changes coming for 2e! Bards have full martial proficiency, clerics can f finally get heavy armor from within their class, wizard schools of magic are gone… Then of course the big named news, like the replacement of dragons with the magic traditions (arcane/nature/religion/occult), and the completed removal of alignment. Are other people as excited as I am?
Outside of clerics and champions, they’re not supposed to be required, more of a flavor to help guide your character. But if an elf does something on the elf anathema list, there are no consequences other than maybe the other elves look at you funny. But that would be at the GMs discretion.