Return to Robert A. Heinlein main page Books-Commentary - Robert A. Heinlein How did the people in Mike's Cult avoid getting VD? In "Stranger in a Strange Land" Mike, the man from Mars, sets up a cult where everyone practices free love. But thinking realistically here, that could quickly spread social diseases. Do you think that Heinlein simply failed to address this problem, or that Mike could use the power of his mind to irradicate VD on sight? Click here to post a message        The commentator Sorcha posts on 1/21/2006 10:20:38 PM firstly looking at the date it was first published, 1961, and noting history at that time AIDS hadnt arisen and the big 70's sexual revolution thing hadnt really gotten underway. As result of it being pre sexual revolution, penicilin was still the magical cure all drug and VD was not the major concern back then so it was likely not something Heinlein really considered as a risk in writing the novel. The other posability is that since the cult dealt with the whole mind over matter theory and if one recalls when they had the power to make Jubal potent again, they thus could play around with biological functions. One can assume they may have had the mind over matter power to stimulate the immune system and fight diseases off just with the power of their minds and so prevented VD. Click here to post a message Other Recent Robert A. Heinlein Discussions If Heinlein had written one more book.... Heinlein - To Sail Beyond the Sunset - Grandpa does the entire family? Do you agree with Heinlein's advocacy of Incest and Polygasms? 11/6/2009 3:45:26 AM Robert A. Heinlein 10/4/2009 4:43:53 PM Was The Cat Who Walked Through Walls a Tribute to Capitalism? 10/3/2009 9:49:40 AM Did Robert Heinlein believe in racial & genetic purity? 10/3/2009 9:23:32 AM Heinlein and polygamy: If you were in love, would you share your woman? 10/3/2009 9:20:31 AM Heinlein: Would you use a time machine to have sex with Mom? 8/19/2008 12:02:45 AM Was the protagonist of - The Door into Summer - a pedophile? 10/7/2006 4:11:24 PM Would you trust the UN with nuclear weapons as in Space Cadet? 5/27/2006 2:39:26 PM Did Rod Walker get dropped on his head from birth? 2/27/2006 9:13:32 AM How did the people in Mike's Cult avoid getting VD? 1/21/2006 10:20:38 PM Heinlein: Was Maureen Johnson a bad mother? 6/24/2005 4:03:02 PM What was Heinlein's views on military governments? 3/8/2005 9:25:58 PM Was Farmer in the Sky a Malthusian false alarm? 2/15/2005 10:34:12 PM Note: the views expressed here are only those of the posters.

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