Editing Church of the SubGenius (section)

===X-Day===
In early SubGenius literature, July 5, 1998, was introduced as a significant date, later becoming known as "[[X-Day (Church of the SubGenius)|X-Day]]".{{sfn|Cusack|2010|p=89}} The Church held that Dobbs identified the date's significance in the 1950s,{{sfn|Scoblionkov|1998}} claiming that the world was to experience a massive change on that date when Xists, beings from [[Planet X]], would arrive on Earth.{{sfn|Cusack|2010|p=90}} SubGenius leaders said their paying members would be transported onto spaceships for union with goddesses as the world was destroyed,{{sfn|Gunn|Beard|2000|p=269}} though a few posited that they would be sent to a joyful hell.{{sfn|Giffels|1995}} In anticipation of the event, X-Day "drills" were held in 1996 and 1997.{{sfn|SubGenius.com Devivals}}

In July 1998, the Church held a large devival at a "clothing-optional" campground in [[Sherman, New York]],{{sfn|Cusack|2010|p=90}}{{sfn|Yuen|1998}} attended by about 400&nbsp;members.{{sfn|Scoblionkov|1998}} The event was ostensibly to celebrate the coming of aliens. When their appearance was not detected using the technology available at the time, Stang produced a sacred piece of paper with "Bob"s handwritten date of X-day, proving judgment was officially scheduled for 1998. However, Papa Joe Mama (the "Minister of Sinister") snatched the paper from Stang's hands and turned it upside down, declaring that Stang must have read it backward (8661);{{sfn|Cusack|2010|p=90}} this has been interpreted by the authors David Beard and Joshua Gunn as a satire of the way that religious groups have revised prophecies after their failures.{{sfn|Gunn|Beard|2000|p=269}} Some critics dismissed the event as a prank or "performance art".{{sfn|Cusack|2010|p=90}} Another theory is that The Conspiracy has lied about what year the present year actually is (just as they have lied about everything else), so that the liberation date would seem to pass without fulfillment and cause followers to lose faith. As a precaution, SubGenius members continue to gather for X-Day every July 5. At these events, the non-appearance of the aliens is celebrated.{{sfn|Kirby|2012|p=49}}{{sfn|Cusack|2010|p=98}} Cusack calls the productions [[carnivalesque]]{{sfn|Cusack|2010|p=98}} or an echo of ancient Greek [[satyr play]]s.{{sfn|Cusack|2010|p=90}}