I grew up in a rather homogeneous environment and always had an invisible hesitation when talking to people of different faiths. I was afraid I would accidentally say something wrong or disrespectful.
Everything changed when I met a Spanish girl in a cultural discussion group on OVFRIENDS. She is Muslim. The conversation started very naturally; she told me about Ramadan, the meaning of fasting, and the sense of peace during prayer. There was no judgment, no preaching, only sincere sharing.
I realized that differences are only scary when we build walls. If there is a place that makes people less judgmental and more willing to listen, perhaps it is in genuine conversations like that.