Articles written by Michael Burgwin - Page 4

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About me - Michael Burgwin

Writing has been one of my enduring dreams, though all too seldom written and only occasionally published. Poetry, short stories, love letters, activist policy, news reports, columns, op eds, features, an unpublished science fiction and a non-fiction book

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Religion & Spirituality > Comparative Religion Is there one, true religion that is better than all the others?: 23 of 158
Searching for a "one best religion" is the equivalent of seeking the best cookie. The process and the conclusion will be wholly relative because, like cookies, every individual has their own unique taste. Over the course of one's life, a person resonates with experiences that are mutually attuned. The pilgrim's maturation jo... More..
Relationships & Family > Gay & Lesbian Issues Are people born gay?: 15 of 102
GENDER IS NOT BLACK AND WHITE "Males do not represent two discrete populations, heterosexual and homosexual. The world is not to be divided into sheeps and goats. Not all things are black nor all things white." - Alfred Kinsey * * * In the same way that people are born with and develop a wide range of unique physical charact... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Terrorism Should we give in to terrorism?: 6 of 39
BEWARE THE MASK OF TERRORISM Because terrorism, especially in the post 9/11 world, is a concept prone to misapplication and misunderstanding, it is incumbent on us to clarify its usage in order to empower a cogent discussion. Before we decide whether to give in to it, we must first achieve some understanding of it, a feet on... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Doctrine & Issues Gay rights and the Christian church: 22 of 141
CHILDREN OF LESSER GODS The conservative side of the Christian Church has a tendency to put its God in a box with chains as if the super being were Houdini. While God is trying to get out of the box, they do the talking for Him. The imprisoning box that limits the believers access to God is the collective mind of the believe... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Spiritual: 5 of 32
READY OR NOT In his heart he was ready. Only his life remained. It was the only thing he had not yet given. Everything else about him had been surrendered. His job, his family and friends, and his hold on material possessions; all were disconnected and gone. He was surrendering now. He invoked his god, asking to be used for ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Heaven, Hell & Afterlife Is there heaven and hell, or just heaven for everyone?: 9 of 57
What is commonly called "spiritual growth" refers to the natural process of maturing from unconsious living to a life in which we are fully aware of our unity with the divine. Very simply, when we are out of touch with or separate (in perception) from our God, we are in hell. When we are most in touch with our God, we are in... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Death: 19 of 120
DEAD FISH The world's heaviest man is dead. After considerable consternation twelve firemen wrestled his gelatinous cadaver through the narrow doorway of his indolent cave swollen with the debris of edible infatuations to the roomy rent-a-van with an EZ lift parked at the bottom of the long concrete ramp with two arduous tur... More..
Politics, News & Issues > War in Iraq Should the US pull out its troops regardless of whether Iraq is ready to defend its people?: 34 of 214
An enduring concern for the people of the United States whose leaders committed them to a war of aggression and death against Iraq and its people has to do with the broken and demoralized country's ability to manage its own affairs. Because of the total dismantling of its governing structure, including its military and polic... More..
Politics, News & Issues > War in Iraq Setting a timetable for troop withdrawal from Iraq is a terrible mistake: 13 of 81
As wrong and as ugly as the conflict is in Iraq, setting a timetable that is public is a bad idea. A timetable that is known only to a select few is another thing all together. Broadcasting military strategy is never a good idea unless the broadcast is part OF the strategy. Clearly, integrating a timetable into the strategic... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Sports News & Opinion (Other) Should collegiate athletes receive payment for competing in college athletics?: 5 of 31
KEEPING THEIR EYES ON THE BALL Arguably, in the big money aura of elite, big university athletic programs on megacampuses with 20, 30 and 40 thousand students, the maturation of the individual student-athlete has been overshadowed by the magnitude of money harvested on the playing field. The big bucks generated by collegiate... More..