Racist Trump?

Did that headline grab you?

If so, score one for clickbait. Now to the point: In a post Thursday, I raised the question of whether news organizations should label certain tweets by President Donald Trump as racist — as a fact — or simply report his comments and let news consumers decide.

The post has generated an interesting discussion so far. Check it out.

In the meantime, let’s dive into the Friday Five:

1. Religion story of the week: Terry Mattingly had a must-read post this week on Mayor Pete’s faith emphasis. That would be Democratic presidential contender Pete Buttigieg (and please let me have spelled his last name correctly).

In the post, tmatt suggests that a recent Washington Post story that ran with the headline ”Pete Buttigieg hires the first faith outreach director of the 2020 campaign” came “really, really close to examining the crucial faith-based cracks inside today’s Democratic Party.”

More from tmatt:

The key: Is Buttigieg trying to rally religious liberals (and secularists) who are already on his side or is he, like Barack Obama, attempting to reach out to centrists and liberal evangelicals? So far, the other key player in this pre-primary faith contest is Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who urgently needs support from voters in the African-American church.

Read it all.

2. Most popular GetReligion post: Religion coverage at The Oregonian has had its highs and lows, as Julia Duin noted in this week’s No. 1 post.

Here’s how Duin assesses the current state of that newspaper’s Godbeat:

The beat seems to be at a low point now, if the paper’s recent profile of a Catholic church torn by dissension is any indication. This story is very weak.

What was so “clumsy” about this particular news story? Suffice it to say, it focused on nasty showdowns between a graying flock of Baby Boomer progressive Catholics and a new priest — from Africa — who has been attempting to move the parish back toward Catholic liturgical norms.

Believe it or not, this clash has fueled actual protests DURING Sunday Mass. More from Duin:

Which Catholics in Portland feel their archdiocese is out of step with them? All of them? Is there a debate going on here or not?

If you read the comments for this article, it appears that an equal amount of Catholics believe the archdiocese is is on track, in terms of faithfulness to the church and its teachings.

To get the full picture, just click the link. It’s all there.

3. Guilt folder fodder (and more): Here’s a new story by the Deseret News’ talented religion writer Kelsey Dallas that just came across my Twitter feed this morning.

This piece on sex, consent and chastity at the nation’s Christian colleges certainly looks interesting.

I plan to read it this weekend.

4. Shameless plug: I interviewed a Mexican-American Christian in El Paso, Texas, who is grappling — like so many — with that mass shooting at a Walmart that claimed 22 lives.

“It hits so close to home,” Monica Moreno, the daughter of a Mexican immigrant, told The Christian Chronicle.

But her faith is helping her find hope.

Read the full story.

5. Final thought: Can we all do our friend Sarah a favor and help find her a new boss?

Happy Friday, everybody! Enjoy the weekend!