Constitutionally-protected religious freedom in this country is not under siege from the government’s latest effort to promote access to contraception.

The old, white males who run the Catholic church are making lots of noise about it but their failing effort to keep a grip on outdated moral doctrine via church/state separation grounds is an overreach.  It’s also mean-spirited.  New York’s Cardinal-to-be Tim Dolan is among the most outspoken Catholic leaders opposed to the President’s effort to require religiously-affiliated employers to remove birth control exclusions from worker health insurance plans.

The uproar from Dolan and Catholic bureaucrats has already prompted the President to modify an edict that would broaden access to a commonly prescribed medicine.  It’s too bad.  Rank and file Catholics use contraception.  They don’t mark calendars or employ other inhuman approaches to avoid unplanned pregnancy.  They use contraception.  They used it in the 60’s.  They used it in the 70’s.  They use it now.  They go to church on Sunday and they observe many of the guiding principles that make their faith a powerful force.  But they don’t listen to old, unmarried celibate guys when it comes to deciding whether to use contraception.

Some women even take birth control pills to stave off effects of polycystic ovary syndrome.  Contraception safeguards health.  It can be expensive.  And for most women who have health coverage, it’s covered.

There are prestigious institutions with long, formal ties to the Catholic church right here in Dolan’s own fiefdom that pay for, prescribe and dispense contraceptives in compliance with New York state law.  Dolan doesn’t really talk about that much.  But he sure seems to find great enthusiasm for pushing back at Obama’s common-sense move to standardize access to contraceptives.

Lecturing at Fordham University’s law school a few weeks ago, Dolan leveled outrageous criticism at those who use “chemicals and latex” to regulate body chemistry, calling them part of the “culture of death.”

That’s crazy.  Adherence to that kind of view from a church leader will prompt some with blind faith to face troubling circumstances while walking the tightrope of adult life.  Reproductive health has nothing to do with morals or lack thereof.  It’s one’s health.  It’s one’s life.

The institutions targeted by the President’s proposal aren’t traditional houses of worship.  They’re enterprises that are part of American society.  Secular in basic mission, Catholics run hospitals and universities with great success.  They take money from the government.  They hire, treat and educate people of all faiths.  They don’t go overboard in imposing their beliefs in those settings.  In many states, contraceptives move through these places because state laws mandate their availability through insurance.

What you’re hearing now is a campaign-year drumbeat by the leadership of a voting bloc unhappy with a pro-choice politician.  This is a chance to squeeze Obama a bit using religion as a wedge.  But if the issue is framed correctly, this is about access to contraception.  And on that count, church leaders are way out of step with their constituents – and way out of bounds on their view of contraception’s value as a measure of control over one’s health and life.