Earthseed: Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents

by Octavia E. Butler

The truth is, I don’t care about any of those things, but they keep me busy and make me tired, and most of the time, I sleep without dreaming.

Prayers only help the person doing the praying, and then, only if they strengthen and focus that person’s resolve.

God exists to be shaped, and will be shaped, with or without our forethought, with or without our intent.

After all, if it’s real, why doesn’t anyone else know about it.

Drowning people Sometimes die Fighting their rescuers.

like ignoring a fire in the living room because we’re all in the kitchen, and, besides, house fires are too scary to talk about.”

forehead. When he spoke again, the edge went out of his voice. “It’s better to teach people than to scare them, Lauren. If you scare them and nothing happens, they lose their fear, and you lose some of your authority with them.

Fecund.

We’ll be moved, all right. It’s just a matter of when, by whom, and in how many pieces.

Their misery eases my own, somehow. It gives me moments when I don’t think

“Change is ongoing. Everything changes in some way—size, position, composition, frequency, velocity, thinking, whatever. Every living thing, every bit of matter, all the energy in the universe changes in some way. I don’t claim that everything changes in every way, but everything changes in some way.”

“The essentials,” I answered, “are to learn to shape God with forethought, care, and work; to educate and benefit their community, their families, and themselves; and to contribute to the fulfillment of the Destiny.”

All too often, they were actually fought because inadequate leaders did not know what else to do. Such leaders knew that they could depend on fear, suspicion, hatred, need, and greed to arouse patriotic support for war.

Raids and gangs are dangerous because they kill outright. Peace is dangerous because it encourages complacency and carelessness—which also kills sooner or later.

The more you yield, the more you are required to yield. Our teachers know we don’t mean it, know we act out of fear of pain. We simply do as we are told. They hate us for this. They look at us with unmistakable hatred, disgust, and contempt, and they insist that it’s love that they feel. Their God requires them to love us, after all.

God says we must love --so by definition *this* *is* love… proper example of "begs the question"?

Remembering wasn’t safe. You could lose your mind, remembering.

Did she struggle for life only out of habit, or because some part of her still hoped that there was something worth living for?

Belief will not save you. Only actions Guided and shaped By belief and knowledge Will save you. Belief Initiates and guides action— Or it does nothing.

demagogue.”