In a decision giving hope to opponents of the federal contraception coverage mandate, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday that Hobby Lobby won't have to start paying millions of dollars in fines next week for not complying with the requirement, Fox News reports. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver decided the Oklahoma City-based arts-and-crafts chain can proceed with its case against the government without being subjected to fines in the process. The reprieve gives Hobby Lobby more time to argue in a lower court that for-profit businesses -- not just currently exempted religious groups -- should be allowed to seek an exception if the law violates their religious beliefs. The company had sued to overturn the mandate on the grounds that it violates the faith of founder and CEO David Green and his family. "Sincerely religious persons could find a connection between the exercise of religion and the pursuit of profit," the judges wrote. "Would an incorporated kosher butcher really have no claim to challenge a regulation mandating non-kosher butchering practices?" Lawyers for the Greens called the court’s ruling a "resounding victory for religious freedom."
