Here’s a case of two faith-related news stories that both illustrate two of my favorite sayings: “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you” and “The medium is the message.”

• Sojourners, the progressive Christian organization helmed by Jim Wallis, is getting lots of left-wing criticism for declining an ad that urged churches to welcome gay members. Check out the coverage from Christianity Today, Episcopal Cafe, Religion Dispatches and Spiritual Politics.
• Di Tzeitung, a Hasidic Jewish newspaper, looks completely absurd for having edited the women — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (previously a senator from New York and quite popular with the Jewish community) and Audrey Tomason, counterterrorism chief — out of that now-infamous Situation Room photo of the Obama administration’s inner circle watching the raid on Osama bin Laden’s Abbottabad hideaway. (Something to remember, next time we’re discussing a story about traditionalist Muslims who want to keep women hidden away.) Check out the coverage from CNN’s Belief Blog, JTA and USA Today’s Faith & Reason blog.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below.