Catholicism vs. Islam From the Perspective of an Innkeeper

Today was interesting, to say the least. It was a typical day at the inn, until two scholars got into a heated debate. Of course I listened, that's my only entertainment these days. The controversy was over which church better fosters creativity, that of the Catholic monk, or that of the Islamic scholar. Both were well equipped with knowledge, and I could tell they spend a great deal of time studying not only their religion but also life in general. Being Catholic all my life, I tried not to be too biased, even though Mubashir, the Moslem, argued his views rather well. Cecil, the monk, seemed undaunted by his opponent's stubbornness. Who won the dispute? Judge ye for yourself, my friend.

I am still unsure how it all began. A monk in public is not inconspicuous by any means, especially to a scholar. I imagine the Moslem started the conversation, and soon one mentioned creativity within his own faith.

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Cecil Taylor

By the time I became involved, I mostly heard the innovations made by their people. Now I knew the Moslems were generally known as traders, and Mubashir used that to his advantage. According to him, the Islam nation has strong trade all over the world. Consequently, they invented the bill of exchange and the idea that large companies can be owned by the public. I don't know much about trading and commerce, I just charge my customers to sleep in my Inn. I admit, the Moslem's ideas sound intelligent and complicated, so the Moslem gained my respect.

To my surprise, Cecil acknowledged that the ideas presented were creative, careful to not make an enemy--a true Christian it seems. He did mention how the idea of banking and charging interest according to one's social ranking came to light in a predominantly...