A member of a Catholic group with whom I and other Muslims dialogue with invited us (Muslims) to her home for dinner. It was great. We had great food along with some great discussion.
Food: We began w/ cheese, crackers, juice, and olives. For dinner, we had chicken pot pie, pasta, salad, and fruit. For dessert, we had ice cream cake. Then, we finished it off w/ decaf coffee.
Discussion: We discussed several things. We now feel quite comfortable around each other and therefore, are able to talk about some differences between our religions. One subject that came up tonight was praying to others (Saints, Mary [Mother of Jesus], etc. ) as intercessors. Muslims are forbidden from calling upon any dead person for intercession. However, I got the impression tonight that this is something the Catholics do regularly.
Although we have our differences, I enjoy learning about others and I’m sure they feel the same way. These meetings help us to clarify the many misconceptions about our religion and helps fight the phobia that is projected in the media. May God All-Mighty reward us for these efforts.
