The major religious traditions of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism help shape the daily lives of the vast majority of the world. As a result, religion permeates politics from all sides in just about every part of the world, fueling compassion as well as intolerance; stirring conflict as well as peace; fighting injustice as well as legitimizing injustice against those who don't hold the same beliefs. 

GlobalPost 'Special Reports' presents this blog as a place for accurate, well-informed reporting and analysis of the religious forces that drive and influence global news. This reporting initiative is made possible with support from the Henry Luce Foundation and is in partnership with the Knight Program in Media and Religion at USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. 

As with all foundation support for our journalism, GlobalPost maintains complete editorial independence and accepts no funding which carries any partisan, religious or ideological point of view. 

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