I doubt it was a set-up, more people being terrified and trying to protect themselves.  I have a theory that premies and ex-premies are easily intimidated because on some level there is residual belief that Rawat will come and get you like the big, boogey man some day, and you deserve whatever you get because you turned your back on "the love'.  It's not rational, but it's there, because we were all indoctrinated as premies that Rawat is all-powerful, all-knowing, and beyond judgment and we are not allowed to be independent human beings in his world. 

So, if you kick Rawat in the proverbial nuts (and I assume he has them), like John and Gubler did, your inner Catholic expects to get struck by lightning and so when it happens you beg for forgiveness.  Maybe that terrified, helpless feeling happened to both John and Gubler and they did things that were self-destructive, and perhaps destructive to others, as a result.

If I was Gubler, I sure would feel like crap; that's for sure.

Anyhow, at the moment, being reminded of the torture Rawat put John through, I feel like crap as well, and not too good about humanity in general and a little depressed that a filthy rich cult leader could get away with it, and continue to be worshipped, by, well hundreds.

And if Rawat gets away with this, and is able to restore his soiled PR image by lying about speaking at the United Nations, fraudulently claiming to be  an "expert on peace" and live a rich, worshipped life, well, that is proof positive that there is no God.