And yet, in the same books,
Was rampant hedonism. "The old man" was a common character (Heinlein himself?), such as Jubal, who was wise, clever, and had a harem of women in negligees prancing around and doing his bidding. Probably one of the reasons "Stranger in a Strange Land" has never been adapted to film.
He was a great story-teller, one of the best, but a strange character. Hard to tell when he was being serious or satirical.