Parable of the Talents

by Octavia E. Butler

We will shape God

No. This is just unwarranted cockiness at this point. The rest of it is just fine. But why push this so hard? It ruins all the rest of the philosophy which is reasonable without this aspect.

was to be like a sheep in Christ’s flock—or Jarret’s flock.

Good on you for recognizing the difference

You’re honest people. If anyone says otherwise, attack their credibility. Accuse them of being secret cultists, witches, Satanists, thieves. Whatever you think will endanger your accusers the most, say it! Don’t just defend yourselves. Attack. And keep attacking until you scare the shit out of your accusers. Watch them. Pay attention to their body language. Their own reactions will tell you how best to damage them or scare them off.

Honest people don't do that

All Earthseed was her family. We never really were, Uncle Marc and I. She never really needed us, so we didn’t let ourselves need her. Here is the last journal entry of hers that seems to apply to her long, narrow story.