199:
The group reportedly moved to
Garland because the name sounded like "God Land". At the time the group had roughly 140–160 members. Members purchased more than 20 homes in an upper-middle-class south Garland neighborhood. Like their neighbors, these followers were white-collar professionals, some of
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Chen was a former professor who claimed to be an atheist until he joined a religious cultivation group that dated back for two generations to the original female founder, Teacher Yu-Hsia Chen. But he broke with the group, headed by the third-generation teacher, in 1993 and created, with another
220:
When the predicted appearance did not occur, the group became confused. "The Chen Tao leader announced that he obviously had misunderstood God's plans, and members quietly returned to their homes," wrote Szubin. Chen offered to be
213:, and were on stand-by when the international media began arriving in what had previously been an upper-middle-class section of the Dallas suburb. "Its presence unsettled many Garland residents," wrote
241:, Chen Tao seems to have effectively fallen apart after its leader's prophecies went unfulfilled. Immediately after the failed prediction, some of the members had to return to Taiwan owing to
164:
In Taiwan, the group was originally officially registered as the
Chinese Soul Light Research Association. When the group moved to the United States from Asia, it was registered in the US as
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that would result in much death, but also God's arrival in a "God plane" to save the members. They originally stated that this would occur in 1999 but later revised the date.
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fellow-cultivator, Tao-hung Ma, their own groups. It was later, when he broke with Ma and decided to move to the United States, that new elements, such as the
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It was founded by Hon-Ming Chen (陳恆明 born 1955) in Taiwan, who first associated it with UFOs but later claimed that the group had been misrepresented as a
209:
The
Garland Police Department, understanding the potential gravity of the situation, coordinated resources, including religious studies professor
666:
558:
457:
492:
444:; Greil, Arthur L. (2011). "Failed Prophecy and Group Demise: The Case of Chen Tao". In Tumminia, Diana; Swatos, William H. (eds.).
109:. It was founded by Hon-Ming Chen, who first associated it with UFOs but later claimed that the group had been misrepresented as a
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whom were reportedly wealthy. "They dressed in white, wore cowboy hats and drove luxury cars," according to
249:. They continued to wear cowboy hats but began stating that a war between China and Taiwan would lead to a
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and Arthur L. Greil traveled to
Lockport to interview Master Chen and observe the group post-prophecy.
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117:. Members later moved to Texas in 1997, where they became notorious for a highly publicized failed
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problems; in total, roughly two-thirds abandoned the group. Later the remaining members moved to
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Szubin, Adam; Jensen, Carl J.; Gregg, Rod (2000). "Interacting with "Cults': A Policing Model".
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in August 1997, Chen predicted that at on March 31, 1998, God would be seen on
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340:(1999). "Meeting God in Garland: A Model of Religious Tolerance".
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The group is best known for a highly publicized, and failed,
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New
Religious Movements and Religious Liberty in America
615:"Some religious believers waiting for end of the world"
16:
Religious group that originated in 20th-century Taiwan
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for the event, but no one took him up on this offer.
473:Abshire, Richard; Smith, Andrew D. (18 June 2006).
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51:
41:
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574:Heard, Alex; Klebnikov, Peter (27 December 1998).
382:"Taiwanese Group Prepares to Meet God -- in Texas"
301:"God's Salvation Church: Past, Present and Future"
237:Unlike other millennial religious groups, such as
137:. It was later known as God's Salvation Church.
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687:Religious organizations established in 1955
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545:Davis, Derek H.; Hankins, Barry (2003).
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682:Religious organizations based in Taiwan
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97:(真道, or "True Way"), also known as the
299:Prather, Charles Houston (July 1999).
20:
153:, as well as Christian motifs of the
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380:Verhovek, Sam Howe (4 March 1998).
576:"Apocalypse Now. No, Really. Now!"
475:"Ministry says Armageddon is near"
188:prophecy. Shortly after moving to
14:
217:in a law enforcement case study.
623:. Vol. 112, no. 309.
1:
549:(2nd ed.). Waco, Texas:
667:Religious syncretism in Asia
523:. Vol. 69, no. 9.
520:FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin
85:trueway-chentao.homepage.com
306:Marburg Journal of Religion
256:Religious studies scholars
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196:all across North America.
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28:
551:Baylor University Press
480:The Dallas Morning News
424:Encyclopædia Britannica
203:The Dallas Morning News
168:and first relocated to
356:10.1525/nr.1999.3.1.45
280:New religious movement
166:God's Salvation Church
99:God's Salvation Church
75:God's Salvation Church
275:List of UFO religions
172:. Adherents moved to
170:San Dimas, California
662:East Asian religions
613:(26 December 1999).
452:. pp. 153–171.
637:Google News Archive
611:Ostling, Richard N.
495:on 12 November 2007
155:prophecy of the end
105:that originated in
55:Hon-Ming Chen (陳恆明)
657:Apocalyptic groups
581:The New York Times
446:How Prophecy Fails
387:The New York Times
338:Kliever, Lonnie D.
247:Lockport, New York
620:The Daily Courier
560:978-0-918954-92-3
459:978-90-04-21560-3
442:Wright, Stuart A.
251:nuclear holocaust
159:great tribulation
143:pseudo-scientific
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584:. p. 41.
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390:. p. 12.
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151:flying saucers
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672:UFO religions
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627:. pp. 8A
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635:– via
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497:. Retrieved
493:the original
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399:. Retrieved
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350:(1): 45–53.
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343:Nova Religio
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315:. Retrieved
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103:UFO religion
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46:UFO religion
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215:Adam Szubin
176:, in 1997.
651:Categories
448:. Boston:
286:References
239:Millerites
194:Channel 18
186:millennial
121:prophecy.
119:millennial
590:0362-4331
529:0014-5688
489:1553-846X
396:0362-4331
364:1092-6690
313:(1): 1–18
233:Aftermath
227:crucified
147:cosmology
88:(defunct)
419:Chen Tao
264:See also
157:and the
101:, was a
95:Chen Tao
24:Chen Tao
499:30 June
421:at the
401:26 June
317:27 June
190:Garland
131:New Age
125:History
111:New Age
52:Founder
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223:stoned
107:Taiwan
66:Taiwan
60:Origin
631:3 May
595:3 May
63:1993
633:2010
597:2010
586:ISSN
555:ISBN
525:ISSN
501:2024
485:ISSN
454:ISBN
403:2023
392:ISSN
360:ISSN
319:2023
243:visa
149:and
135:cult
133:UFO
115:cult
113:UFO
42:Type
352:doi
225:or
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33:真道
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