Ever since humans first conceived the existence of a god, they have been plagued with the question of knowing which god, which religion, is correct.  After all, there would be little point in fighting a war over religion if both sides knew they were wrong before they ever showed up. 

Therefore, it was no surprise that a little known religious order, the Brotherhood of the Answer Definitive, existed for over 700 years with the sole purpose of developing a simple test that would tell anyone, anywhere, if her or his religious beliefs were, without a doubt, true.  What was surprising, though, was when they announced on August 23, 2042, that such a test had, indeed, been developed.  Immediately after the announcement, all forty-four members of the order quit.  “It wasn’t so much that we have nothing else to do now,” stated Brother Maynard, “but it’s just that... I mean… well… you know.”

News of the test quickly spread.  Every major religion denounced the test, and many condemned it as downright sinful.  However, no belief was exempt, and no individual was allowed the comfort of blissful ignorance.  A parishioner, for instance, might refuse to take the test herself, but when the Vicar started sleeping in on Sunday, it became more than obvious that she might as well sleep in, too. 

By January of 2043, all but a few of the more relaxed religions existed, and by June of that year, no organized religion existed anywhere on the planet.  The one thing all religions were found to have in common was that, universally, they were all wrong.  Even obscure religions, such as the Kabuchi of Tuvalu, or the ancient religions of the Sumerians and Visigoths, to name only a few, all were proven to be wrong.  As well, such beliefs as atheism and agnosticism were proven to be incorrect.

The most positive, immediate outcome was the cessation of over twenty-nine major conflicts throughout the world.  The entire concept of a “Holy Land,” any holy land, suddenly became an anachronism, and the idea of fighting over such hot, nasty places became equally silly.  However, any positive benefits were soon eclipsed by the negatives.

What followed became known as the Great Void.  Alcohol and drug abuse became rampant throughout the world.  Suicide rates more than quadrupled in many places.  Chronic depression became the number one health concern everywhere.  Stated imminent scholar Dr. Ivan Tupidsay, “Apparently people have a psychological need to believe in something other than themselves.”

They found that answer in the fall of 2045.  The only undeniably true thing that still existed on the planet was the Test itself.  Soon “Testing Centers” were being opened up everywhere, many of them utilizing the churches, mosques, and synagogues that had remained empty since the inception of the Test.  It wasn’t long after, though, that factions began to appear. For instance, was the Test equally valid regardless of which language it was translated into?  Then there were those who argued that a shortened version of the Test was just as valid as the original version, and those who argued that a longer version was far superior.  And then there were those who argued that it wasn’t technically necessary to have a Test at all.  Rather, their faith in the truthfulness of the Test was all that was truly required. 

By the Spring of 2046 it was estimated that well over 2000 different beliefs in which version of the Test was the most true existed throughout the world.  Hostilities soon followed.