Re: [UUPoly-L] Stranger In A Strange Land

["Michael Rios" <earthfather@cfnc.us>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: david vanhorn 
> > I have not reconciled myself with Heinlein's views  on incest.  The
> character
> > Lazarus appears to feel that incest is  okay.  So doe's Lazarus' mother
> and
> > lover,  Maureen Johnson,  in "To Sail Beyond The Sunset."
> 
> Remember, that was in a situation where any genetic problems either
> were known not to exist in advance, or could be fixed.
> 
> Once you have that, and eliminated abuse of authority overriding
> informed consent, then all that's left is cultural or religious bias.

Many years ago, I had a close friend who was a well-known psychiatrist.  He
told me about some clients he had in which the father had been having a
secret affair with his adult daughter.  When the mother found out, as
"payback", she had sex with her adult son.  When the dust settled, they all
talked it out (on their own), and decided that they all liked this
arrangement, and continued for many years.  My psychiatrist friend was
called in after about five years of this, because one of them just wanted to
get an outside opinion of the situation-- they couldn't understand how
something that seemed fine to them in real life could be so condemned by the
larger society.  

So he interviewed all four quite extensively, and came to the conclusion
that they had all worked through their original issues with each other,
adjusted quite well to the situation, and in every other respect seemed
quite functional and happy.  He said that, in conscience, the only
recommendation he could make to them was "Be discreet". 

Michael Rios