Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty said Wednesday he will not sign the marriage pledge that Rep. Michele Bachmann and other 2012 candidates have supported, which had stated that a black child born into slavery was more likely to be raised in a two-parent household than one born today.

Pawlenty joins Mitt Romney in declining to sign the marriage vow put forward by the Family Leader, an Iowa group founded by evangelical leader Bob Vander Platts. The pledge calls for candidates to oppose same-sex marriage, "quickie divorce," and pornography, among other things.

Bachmann was the first candidate to support the pledge, and Rick Santorum has also signed on.

The language about slavery was stripped from the vow on Monday, and the group apologized for including it.

In rejecting the marriage pledge, Pawlenty said that he fully supports traditional marriage. The Pawlenty campaign also put out a 6-minute video where Pawlenty and his wife discuss their faith.

"I deeply respect, and share, Bob Vander Platts' commitment to promoting the sanctity of marriage, a culture of life, and the core principles of the Family Leader's Marriage Vow Pledge," Pawlenty said Wednesday in a statement. "However, rather than sign onto the words chosen by others, I prefer to choose my own words, especially seeking to show compassion to those who are in broken families through no fault of their own."

The Family Leader says it will only endorse presidential candidates who sign the pledge.