If you were to torture yourself reading Andrew Sullivan’s rantings, you’d learn that he considers himself a Roman Catholic who differs from essential Church teachings on… ahem important matters. Nevertheless, he’s willing to condemn Sarah Palin for the teachings of her church, since he asserts that she is required to hold these views as a condition of being in it:

Yes, she believes in [the end times]. Of course she believes in them. Her former pastor believes that Alaska will be the refuge for the faithful in the lower 48 states when the Rapture comes. She is a Biblical literalist who denies evolution – who has to deny evolution – to remain in her church. She believes – because she has to believe – that the earth was created 6,000 years ago. And she believes that the Apocalypse will start in the Middle East.

The Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church provides (in part):

2050 The Roman Pontiff and the bishops, as authentic teachers, preach to the People of God the faith which is to be believed and applied in moral life. It is also incumbent on them to pronounce on moral questions that fall within the natural law and reason.

2051 The infallibility of the Magisterium of the Pastors extends to all the elements of doctrine, including moral doctrine, without which the saving truths of the faith cannot be preserved, expounded, or observed.

So Sullivan can differ from the teachings of the Church — in clear contradiction to his church’s assertion — and still consider himself a Roman Catholic. Palin however, is condemned by Sullivan based on the assumption that she cannot and does not do the same.

I guess by Sullivan’s rules, you’d all be welcome to tar him for being anti-woman, closed minded on abortion, or anti-gay. Or you could call him a hypocrite. Or you could say he’s going to hell.

I guess, based on his rules, you could say pretty much anything you wanted to about him.