Santa Clara University, a Jesuit institution, has been in an uproar since our president made a unilateral decision to deny faculty and staff “elective” abortion coverage. Some outsiders have been puzzled by the outrage. Since the university is both private and Jesuit, they reason that its president has the right to impose Church doctrine on its employees, and people should not choose to work there if they cannot accept Catholic doctrine. This “let Catholics be Catholic” response reflects a lack of understanding of the issues and the enormity of what is at stake — and not just for the hundreds of faculty and staff members and the women covered by their medical insurance. Santa Clara University does not generally impose religious doctrine on its staff, faculty or students.