A judge blocked the federal government from forcing Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino's Pizza, to follow the contraception mandate in Obamacare.

Monaghan is a Roman Catholic who disagrees with contraception on religious grounds. His pizza chain offers health insurance that excludes contraception and abortion for employees.

"The HHS mandate forces our clients to provide abortion-causing drugs to their employees when doing so is a direct violation of the teachings of the Catholic Church and our clients' sincerely held religious beliefs," said Erin Mersino, a lawyer for the Thomas More Law Center, a conservative Christian legal defense group that represented Monaghan.

U.S. District Judge Lawrence Zatkoff sided with Monaghan Thursday, granting him a preliminary injunction.

"It is in the best interest of the public that Monaghan not be compelled to act in conflict with his religious beliefs," he wrote.

The ruling covers Domino's Farms Corp., a management company with no connection to Domino's Pizza.