I think it might just be that John is, and always has been, a rather fragile person. No harm in that, but it just amazes me that something so small blew up into something that seems to have destroyed him, or at least set him back for some time.
One thing I will say for John; even in his "apology" he did not retract one single thing he said or wrote. He only folded like a deck of cards and said he had no right to say it, was insensitive to say it, and the like. Well, that sounds like it's coming from depression, not from reason, but at least I think John still has that reporters respect for the truth, at least, even if his self-esteem is shot to hell by his former "master."
I couldn't care less if John thinks I'm part of a "hate group" because the whole concept is laughable and absurd, and I think John knows that. And I'm not surprised that when he is whipping himself for his sins and begging forgiveness for being "zealous," that he might think others who agreed with him are the same way.
I wish John all the best, and I hope the sordid affair is over. In the end, what John contributed in terms of his articles and insights into the cult, particularly those ghastly, abusive "trainings" that Rawat did at Amaroo are his postive legacy. Even I never thought Rawat was THAT BAD. It made me so, so, glad I got out of that insane cult.