Editing Chen Tao (UFO religion) (section)

== History ==
Hon-Ming Chen ({{Langx|zh|陳恆明}}) was born 22 April 1955 in [[Chiayi]], Taiwan. His mother died when he was young; Chen described his upbringing as not religiously devoted, with Buddhist parents and some observation of Chinese folk religion. He acquired a bachelors degree in political science and became an associate professor of sociology at Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, where he taught until 1993.{{sfn|Prather|1999|p=1}}{{sfn|Kliever|1999|p=46}} He had two daughters.{{sfn|Kliever|1999|p=46}}  

Throughout most of his life, Chen described himself as an atheist, but in 1992 he believed he received a revelation from God to live a devoted, religious life; he read a variety of religious texts, including the Christian [[Old Testament|Old]] and [[New Testament|New Testaments]], [[Buddhist sutras]], and [[Tao Te Ching]].{{sfn|Prather|1999|p=2}} He ultimately joined another UFO religion; he paid immense amounts of money to the leader of this group, before he declared that someone making money in God's name was sinful, and those that do so are actually devils in disguise. He then left the group and criticized its leader as demonic; many other members defected with him, and together they founded the Soul Light Resurgence Association (SLRA). Chen founded a church for the group, and encouraged a friend, Mao Tao Hung, to found his own. They grew from there throughout Taiwan, Chen being one of four teachers of the SLRA at four practice sites.{{sfn|Prather|1999|p=2}} 

Chen began to conceive of North America as a "Pureland of God",{{sfn|Prather|1999|p=2}} and in 1996 self-published a book declaring his worldview, advising people who agreed with him to move to the United States to surviving an impending apocalypse. He attempted to convince members at all locations of the SLRA to move with him to America. Most did not follow him, but a few did, forming Chen Tao in 1996.{{sfn|Prather|1999|p=2}} When the group moved to the United States from Asia, it was registered in the US as God's Salvation Church and first relocated to [[San Dimas, California]].<ref name="Verhovek1998" /> Adherents moved to [[Garland, Texas]], in 1997.<ref name="Britannica">{{Britannica|1547699|Chen Tao}}</ref> The group moved to Garland because the name sounded like "God Land",<ref name="Verhovek1998">{{Cite news |last=Verhovek |first=Sam Howe |date=1998-03-04 |title=Taiwanese Group Prepares to Meet God -- in Texas |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/04/us/taiwanese-group-prepares-to-meet-god-in-texas.html |access-date=2023-06-26 |work=[[The New York Times]] |page=12 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>{{sfn|Kliever|1999|p=46}} with Chen claiming they had moved because the East was full of "devils and devil religions".{{sfn|Kliever|1999|p=45}} Despite moving to the United States, he did not speak English and spoke to the public through an interpreter, Richard Liu.{{sfn|Kliever|1999|p=46}} In 1997 they had 140–160 members.<ref name="Wright2011">{{Cite book |last1=Wright |first1=Stuart A. |author-link=Stuart A. Wright |title=How Prophecy Fails |last2=Greil |first2=Arthur L. |publisher=[[Brill Publishers]] |year=2011 |isbn=978-90-04-21560-3 |editor-last=Tumminia |editor-first=Diana |location=Boston |pages=153–171 |language=en |chapter=Failed Prophecy and Group Demise: The Case of Chen Tao |editor-last2=Swatos |editor-first2=William H.}}</ref> 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 whom were reportedly wealthy. "They dressed in white, wore cowboy hats and drove luxury cars," according to ''[[The Dallas Morning News]]''.<ref name="Abshire2006">{{Cite news |last=Abshire |first=Richard |last2=Smith |first2=Andrew D. |date=2006-06-18 |title=Ministry says Armageddon is near |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/061906dnmetendtime.159937b.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112225803/https://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/061906dnmetendtime.159937b.html |archive-date=2007-11-12 |access-date=2024-06-30 |work=[[The Dallas Morning News]] |language=en-US |issn=1553-846X}}</ref>