When Bishop Salvatore Cordileone complained that his freedom of religion is
being denied, he got it backward. It is the Catholic Church that is at-

tempting to deny religious freedom by restricting access to contraceptives

and abortion, including to people who do not subscribe to his religion.

Religious freedom involves the right of every individual to choose which re-

ligious practices he or she accepts, including no religion at all. If you
choose a religion that denies contraceptives, your path is clear: Do not use contraceptives. However, that does not give you the right to deny contraceptives

to anyone else. Nor does it give you the right to use a position of power, such

as control of a school, hospital, orphanage, drug store, or medical license to

impose your religious beliefs on others. Doctors, pharmacists, schools, and

hospitals are licensed by the state to serve the public. Any individual or

institution not prepared to offer full service to everyone is not fulfilling its obligations.