A federal appeals court has denied Oklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby’s request to block a portion of the federal health care law that requires the company provide insurance coverage for emergency contraception pills.

The U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday denied the arts-and-crafts company’s request for an injunction while it appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Hobby Lobby’s lawsuit says the mandate violates the religious beliefs of its Christian founder and CEO David Green and his family. The Greens say requiring insurance coverage for the birth-control pills known as the “morning-after” and “week-after” pills forces them to either violate their religious beliefs or face hefty fines.

The federal appeals court ruling upheld a district court that found the religious burden to the Green family is indirect.

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty is assisting Hobby Lobby in its court battle. Spokesman Kyle Duncan says “The Green family is disappointed with this ruling.” However, he says the Greens will continue to make their case on appeal that this “unconstitutional mandate infringes their right to earn a living while remaining true to their faith.”

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