Stranger in a Strange Land | Themes

Stranger in a Strange Land Themes

The Nature of God

Heinlein implies that the nature of God is a corporate structure with a suggestion box. Archangels can work on projects and propose other projects, but the laws of nature within a specific region of the Universe must be followed. However, human beings do not understand the laws of nature as much as the Martians, who take the time to grok things in their fullness.

The Martians have no concept of religion. Their understanding of life and its meaning cannot be questioned, as the very act of questioning has no meaning. Grokking is to know everything that can be known about a subject, and when all is known, there can be no doubt and no conflict. The Martians understand the afterlife so well that their dead continue to participate in the Martian culture as easily as human elders participate in earthly religions. Ethics is not...
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