I don't know, and unfortunately the author is dead so we can't ask him.
That said, "hero worship" could mean a number of different things, not all of which might be symptomatic of a dangerous cult. Could you expand on what you mean by it?
Eliezer Yudkowsky is one of the most accomplished, knowledgeable, and stimulating writers I've ever encountered, and if he ever were to visit my house, I'd buy a freezer large enough to accommodate his head, just in case he choked on my boiled chickpeas. That being said, I think elevating him to Chuck Norris status is decidedly harmful to the propagation of our cause. He himself has advocated that we don't worship Einstein, because it obscures the fact that he was just as human as we are, and discourages others from striving to achieve his level. Likewise,...
If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.