DebateIsland.com is the largest online debate website globally where anyone can anonymously and easily debate online, casually or formally, while connecting with their friends and others. Users, regardless of debating skill level, can civilly debate just about anything online in a text-based online debate website that supports five easy-to-use and fun debating formats ranging from Casual, to Formalish, to Lincoln-Douglas Formal. In addition, people can improve their debating skills with the help of revolutionary artificial intelligence-powered technology on our debate website. DebateIsland is totally free and provides the best online debate experience of any debate website.
I am not sure what effect absence or presence of a creator has on the answer to this question. Personally, I see my sense of self as an observation on my part; whether it is an illusion or something more is impossible to tell from our limited perspective.
it seems that would equal the idea that we have something with-in us apart than a biological brain telling us that we are the person who is at the center of our being; this would almost be akin in thinking we have a soul. out brain must give the illusion that we have a sense of self rather than actually having one; probably for the purpose of ensuring this sense of self would benefit the survival of the organism. @MayCaesar
This difference seems purely semantic to me; whether there is an entity we can call "soul", or the brain is what fundamentally drives us, our consciousness is still what it is, and our experience does not change from this distinction.
Now, if you are looking at it from the perspective of the potential afterlife existence, then it is a different question no one has an answer to.
@maxx You are a created entity and you are constrained by Time for a specific purpose and death of the body is NOT the end but the beginning of true life, understanding, meaning, for those who have acknowledged God's dominion and providence over their life and trusted in Jesus as Lord for the mediation of sin.
Yes, I do consider my sense of self to be a mere illusion created by my brain. The outside world is nothing more than a simulation created by our brain. @RickeyD What do you mean by the 'constraints of time'? As is well documented by Brian Greene, the difference between past, present and future is an illusion. This helpful video proves it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idsw99SSwKc
@xlJ_dolphin_473 Maybe time is physical in an other dimension. How could time be an illusion? It does not have to be... Time can be twisted, how is it an illusion? I believe we are not illusions but bits of energy in mass.
Any one of us believes in many myths which our irrational brain interprets as objective truth. For example, if someone you trust tells you that they went to McDonalds earlier, then, despite you having zero evidence of that happening, you will likely not even think of questioning it. Granted, you could logically justify it by saying that you do not remember them ever lying to you, hence it is statistically likely that this time they are not lying either - but you still lack hard evidence of it.
But, of course, there is a difference between believing in a myth as a result of basic statistical analysis, and believing in a myth just because someone made some random claim with no serious attempt to back it up.
Debra AI Analytics      +   
  Considerate: 80%     Substantial: 98%     Spelling & Grammar: 97%     Sentiment: Negative     Avg. Grade Level: 13.22     Sources: 0     Entity Sentiment Detection: result of basic statistical analysis    hard evidence of it.But   zero evidence of that happening   example  
____________________
  Political Analysis: No Political Affiliation  
Any one of us believes in many myths which our irrational brain interprets as objective truth. For example, if someone you trust tells you that they went to McDonalds earlier, then, despite you having zero evidence of that happening, you will likely not even think of questioning it. Granted, you could logically justify it by saying that you do not remember them ever lying to you, hence it is statistically likely that this time they are not lying either - but you still lack hard evidence of it.
But, of course, there is a difference between believing in a myth as a result of basic statistical analysis, and believing in a myth just because someone made some random claim with no serious attempt to back it up.
To me believing in a "myth" is believing in a thing that (allegedly) happened long ago and is still believable to some people. Not a recent happening. If I believed recent happenings were myths I would consider the White House "mythical" today. ;-)
Debra AI Prediction
Post Argument Now Debate Details +
Arguments
  Considerate: 88%  
  Substantial: 8%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 33%  
  Sentiment: Neutral  
  Avg. Grade Level: 2.7  
  Sources: 0  
  Relevant (Beta): 79%  
  Learn More About Debra
  Considerate: 97%  
  Substantial: 90%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 100%  
  Sentiment: Neutral  
  Avg. Grade Level: 11.78  
  Sources: 0  
  Entity Sentiment Detection: effect absence    presence of a creator   sense   observation  
  Relevant (Beta): 97%  
  Learn More About Debra
  Considerate: 84%  
  Substantial: 69%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 95%  
  Sentiment: Positive  
  Avg. Grade Level: 12.16  
  Sources: 0  
  Entity Sentiment Detection: biological brain    center of our being   idea   brain  
  Relevant (Beta): 61%  
  Learn More About Debra
  Considerate: 92%  
  Substantial: 27%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 94%  
  Sentiment: Neutral  
  Avg. Grade Level: 6.22  
  Sources: 0  
  Entity Sentiment Detection: spongy slab of meat    mech suit   meat slabs    
  Relevant (Beta): 40%  
  Learn More About Debra
This difference seems purely semantic to me; whether there is an entity we can call "soul", or the brain is what fundamentally drives us, our consciousness is still what it is, and our experience does not change from this distinction.
Now, if you are looking at it from the perspective of the potential afterlife existence, then it is a different question no one has an answer to.
  Considerate: 93%  
  Substantial: 98%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 94%  
  Sentiment: Neutral  
  Avg. Grade Level: 13.18  
  Sources: 0  
  Relevant (Beta): 100%  
  Learn More About Debra
  Considerate: 77%  
  Substantial: 24%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 85%  
  Sentiment: Neutral  
  Avg. Grade Level: 3.34  
  Sources: 0  
  Entity Sentiment Detection: sum total of our brain cells    person      
  Relevant (Beta): 86%  
  Learn More About Debra
  Considerate: 77%  
  Substantial: 79%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 98%  
  Sentiment: Positive  
  Avg. Grade Level: 13.1  
  Sources: 2  
  Entity Sentiment Detection: specific purpose    created entity   beginning of true life   death of the body  
  Relevant (Beta): 96%  
  Learn More About Debra
@RickeyD
What do you mean by the 'constraints of time'? As is well documented by Brian Greene, the difference between past, present and future is an illusion. This helpful video proves it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idsw99SSwKc
  Considerate: 88%  
  Substantial: 59%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 94%  
  Sentiment: Positive  
  Avg. Grade Level: 6.68  
  Sources: 3  
  Entity Sentiment Detection: outside world    Brian Greene   helpful video   mere illusion  
  Relevant (Beta): 16%  
  Learn More About Debra
  Considerate: 92%  
  Substantial: 23%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 95%  
  Sentiment: Neutral  
  Avg. Grade Level: 8.24  
  Sources: 2  
  Entity Sentiment Detection: interesting video    non-existent nature of time   nbsp    
  Relevant (Beta): 2%  
  Learn More About Debra
  Considerate: 16%  
  Substantial: 32%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 57%  
  Sentiment: Neutral  
  Avg. Grade Level: 3.94  
  Sources: 2  
  Relevant (Beta): 100%  
  Learn More About Debra
  Considerate: 92%  
  Substantial: 38%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 89%  
  Sentiment: Neutral  
  Avg. Grade Level: 6.28  
  Sources: 0  
  Relevant (Beta): 98%  
  Learn More About Debra
  Considerate: 91%  
  Substantial: 27%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 87%  
  Sentiment: Neutral  
  Avg. Grade Level: 7.42  
  Sources: 0  
  Entity Sentiment Detection: good luck    way   brain   reality  
  Relevant (Beta): 49%  
  Learn More About Debra
  Considerate: 26%  
  Substantial: 45%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 79%  
  Sentiment: Negative  
  Avg. Grade Level: 11.2  
  Sources: 2  
  Relevant (Beta): 92%  
  Learn More About Debra
Time can be twisted, how is it an illusion? I believe we are not illusions but bits of energy in mass.
  Considerate: 92%  
  Substantial: 49%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 89%  
  Sentiment: Positive  
  Avg. Grade Level: 7.06  
  Sources: 3  
  Entity Sentiment Detection: interesting video    non-existent nature of time   illusion   dolphin  
  Relevant (Beta): 15%  
  Learn More About Debra
https://physicstoday.scitation.org/do/10.1063/PT.5.3047/full/
https://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/7oe7gx/cmv_time_is_not_an_illusion_it_is_real/
  Considerate: 89%  
  Substantial: 11%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 96%  
  Sentiment: Neutral  
  Avg. Grade Level: 9.7  
  Sources: 4  
  Relevant (Beta): 73%  
  Learn More About Debra
Any one of us believes in many myths which our irrational brain interprets as objective truth. For example, if someone you trust tells you that they went to McDonalds earlier, then, despite you having zero evidence of that happening, you will likely not even think of questioning it. Granted, you could logically justify it by saying that you do not remember them ever lying to you, hence it is statistically likely that this time they are not lying either - but you still lack hard evidence of it.
But, of course, there is a difference between believing in a myth as a result of basic statistical analysis, and believing in a myth just because someone made some random claim with no serious attempt to back it up.
  Considerate: 80%  
  Substantial: 98%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 97%  
  Sentiment: Negative  
  Avg. Grade Level: 13.22  
  Sources: 0  
  Entity Sentiment Detection: result of basic statistical analysis    hard evidence of it.But   zero evidence of that happening   example  
  Relevant (Beta): 100%  
  Learn More About Debra
  Considerate: 81%  
  Substantial: 92%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 92%  
  Sentiment: Negative  
  Avg. Grade Level: 12.78  
  Sources: 1  
  Relevant (Beta): 98%  
  Learn More About Debra
OH! NO! Now we're talking in tongues?????????? (Or have you caught a virus?)
  Considerate: 57%  
  Substantial: 75%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 46%  
  Sentiment: Negative  
  Avg. Grade Level: 4.6  
  Sources: 2  
  Relevant (Beta): 71%  
  Learn More About Debra