Church leaders sign conservative manifesto

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Evangelical, Catholic and Orthodox Christian leaders said they won't cooperate with laws they say run counter to their beliefs on abortion and homosexuality.

The 145 leaders signed the document -- to be released Friday in Washington -- that says they will refuse to cooperate with laws that could force their institutions to participate in abortion or recognize same-sex couples, reported The New York Times, which obtained an advance copy.

"We pledge to each other, and to our fellow believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence," the document said.

The signatories, including nine Roman Catholic archbishops and the primate of the Orthodox Church in America, said they want to alert the Obama administration and Congress that they won't compromise on abortion, stem cell research or same-sex marriage.

"We will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other anti-life act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent," the document said.