210:
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
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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
224:, 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
252:, 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
175:
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
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The
Garland Police Department, understanding the potential gravity of the situation, coordinated resources, including religious studies professor
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455:; Greil, Arthur L. (2011). "Failed Prophecy and Group Demise: The Case of Chen Tao". In Tumminia, Diana; Swatos, William H. (eds.).
120:. 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
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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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128:. 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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351:(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
626:"Some religious believers waiting for end of the world"
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Religious group that originated in 20th-century Taiwan
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for the event, but no one took him up on this offer.
484:Abshire, Richard; Smith, Andrew D. (18 June 2006).
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585:Heard, Alex; Klebnikov, Peter (27 December 1998).
393:"Taiwanese Group Prepares to Meet God -- in Texas"
312:"God's Salvation Church: Past, Present and Future"
248:Unlike other millennial religious groups, such as
148:. It was later known as God's Salvation Church.
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698:Religious organizations established in 1955
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556:Davis, Derek H.; Hankins, Barry (2003).
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693:Religious organizations based in Taiwan
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108:(真道, or "True Way"), also known as the
310:Prather, Charles Houston (July 1999).
31:
164:, as well as Christian motifs of the
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391:Verhovek, Sam Howe (4 March 1998).
587:"Apocalypse Now. No, Really. Now!"
486:"Ministry says Armageddon is near"
199:prophecy. Shortly after moving to
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228:in a law enforcement case study.
634:. Vol. 112, no. 309.
1:
560:(2nd ed.). Waco, Texas:
678:Religious syncretism in Asia
534:. Vol. 69, no. 9.
531:FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin
96:trueway-chentao.homepage.com
317:Marburg Journal of Religion
267:Religious studies scholars
18:God's Salvation Church
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207:all across North America.
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562:Baylor University Press
491:The Dallas Morning News
435:Encyclopædia Britannica
214:The Dallas Morning News
179:and first relocated to
367:10.1525/nr.1999.3.1.45
291:New religious movement
177:God's Salvation Church
110:God's Salvation Church
86:God's Salvation Church
286:List of UFO religions
183:. Adherents moved to
181:San Dimas, California
673:East Asian religions
624:(26 December 1999).
463:. pp. 153–171.
648:Google News Archive
622:Ostling, Richard N.
506:on 12 November 2007
166:prophecy of the end
116:that originated in
66:Hon-Ming Chen (陳恆明)
668:Apocalyptic groups
592:The New York Times
457:How Prophecy Fails
398:The New York Times
349:Kliever, Lonnie D.
258:Lockport, New York
631:The Daily Courier
571:978-0-918954-92-3
470:978-90-04-21560-3
453:Wright, Stuart A.
262:nuclear holocaust
170:great tribulation
154:pseudo-scientific
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16:(Redirected from
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638:. pp. 8A
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646:– via
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508:. Retrieved
504:the original
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361:(1): 45–53.
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114:UFO religion
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57:UFO religion
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226:Adam Szubin
187:, in 1997.
662:Categories
459:. Boston:
297:References
250:Millerites
205:Channel 18
197:millennial
132:prophecy.
130:millennial
601:0362-4331
540:0014-5688
500:1553-846X
407:0362-4331
375:1092-6690
324:(1): 1–18
244:Aftermath
238:crucified
158:cosmology
99:(defunct)
430:Chen Tao
275:See also
168:and the
112:, was a
106:Chen Tao
35:Chen Tao
510:30 June
432:at the
412:26 June
328:27 June
201:Garland
142:New Age
136:History
122:New Age
63:Founder
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234:stoned
118:Taiwan
77:Taiwan
71:Origin
642:3 May
606:3 May
74:1993
644:2010
608:2010
597:ISSN
566:ISBN
536:ISSN
512:2024
496:ISSN
465:ISBN
414:2023
403:ISSN
371:ISSN
330:2023
254:visa
160:and
146:cult
144:UFO
126:cult
124:UFO
53:Type
363:doi
236:or
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44:真道
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