> A third reason I didn’t identify with the Rationalists was, frankly, that they gave off some (not all) of the vibes of a cult, with Eliezer as guru.

Apart from a charismatic leader, a cult (in the colloquial meaning) needs a business model, and very often, a sense of separation from, and lack of accountability to those who are outside the cult, which provides conveniently simpler environment under which the cults ideas operate. A sort of "complexity filter" at the entry gate.

I'm not sure how the Rationalists compare to those criteria, but I'd be curious to find out.