What is the hologram theory?

from the old testament

• The hologram theory effectively argues that the physical realm is not inherently good and that, because nothing is real, humanity is not ultimately responsible for its actions. However, the Bible teaches that God created all matter (Genesis 1), and specifically created men and women in His image to rule that creation (Genesis 1:26–27). He called that original state of creation “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Before our sin, then, the physical realm was good.
• Because God created humans in His image, they were created to reflect His goodness to the rest of creation. However, when humanity rebelled (Genesis 3:1–7), we fell under God’s just judgment (Genesis 3:16–19). As the Creator, He has full rights and privileges over His creation, and when we rebelled, He had the right to punish us.
• However, despite our sin breaking our relationship with God and corrupting creation (cf. Romans 8:19–21), He continues to care for the physical realm, demonstrating its inherent goodness even as it is currently under judgment (e.g., Psalm 24:1; 104:24–30).
• Because the physical world is real, there are real consequences for sin. The hologram theory, as with every other proposal throughout history that has denied physical reality, does so to avoid those consequences. However, whether or not one believes in God, as their Creator, everyone is subject to Him. See, for example, Deuteronomy 28, which describes the consequences for God’s people, Israel, depending on whether they obeyed Him.

from the new testament

• Though Jesus is the eternal Son of God (John 1:1), He became as one of us and took on humanity to save us (Philippians 2:6–7). The fact that Jesus did this demonstrates that not only is physical reality real, but it’s inherently good. Additionally, by rising from the dead, He showed that the physical self can be redeemed (Romans 8:23), meaning it has not been forever destroyed by sin.
• Some in the first century, like today’s hologram theory, attempted to deny that Jesus came in the flesh (1 John 4:2–3). They argued that only the spiritual realm was pure, and that it didn’t matter what one did in the flesh (1 Corinthians 6:13–15). However, the denial of the physical realm means the denial of Jesus’ true life, death, and resurrection, which is the denial of the Gospel and salvation (1 Corinthians 15:14–17). In that sense, the hologram theory is an ancient heresy, just with a modern twist.
• Paul warned about such deceivers, saying, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8). Believers are to be careful not to be captivated by ideas like the hologram theory. It may sound modern, but it’s an old lie.
• Because the physical realm is real, there are real and eternal consequences. Paul noted that “each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12) and that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10). The damning error of the hologram theory is the pretense that there are no consequences in the life to come. Yet a day is coming when books will be opened, and those who rejected the real, physical Jesus of the Bible will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11–15).

implications for today

In every generation, there are ideas about reality that sound wise and interesting but, in fact, are just repetitions of previous errors with different terminology. The Hologram Theory postulates that our universe is just one giant simulation. It is an attempt to explain the fact that everything appears to be created without acknowledging the Creator (Romans 1:19–20). It also downplays the reality of the physical realm and that there are very real, eternal consequences stemming from this life. However, although many explanations for the universe have been proposed, none of them corresponds to reality.

God has explicitly stated through His Scripture how He created all things (Genesis 1) and that physical reality is inherently good (Genesis 1:31). Because He is the Creator, that means He has full rights over His creation and that His fingers are all over it. It is because creation evidences Him that people even consider otherwise foolish explanations (Romans 1:21–23).

We must reject every idea, no matter how many smart people ascribe to it, when it contradicts Scripture. The Hologram Theory is yet another in a long line of false beliefs that does just that!