Did Obama Hear an Order from God to Launch Faith Merchandise?

Two seemingly unrelated stories today paint a troubling picture of Obama’s desire to mix religion and politics. Obama admitted to Charles Gibson that he hears God’s voice, and now Obama is launching faith merchandise.

According an article by James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal, Obama told Charlie Gibson during a January interview, that he hears the voice of God,. Obama said, “ . . .sometimes you hear it strongly and sometimes that voice is more muted.”

On Friday, we noted that ABC News had engaged in some sleight-of-hand to conceal Charlie Gibson's misrepresentation of a Sarah Palin quote. On Saturday Jacques Steinberg, a reporter for the New York Times, noted it too:

The questions some respondents took issue with included Mr. Gibson's reference to a recent church speech, in which he quoted Ms. Palin as saying, "Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God." In an excerpt of the speech on YouTube--which ABC spliced into the interview when it was shown--Ms. Palin had prefaced that comment by appearing to say she was praying that America's mission in Iraq represented God's will. . .

By the way, an alert reader spotted this exchange from Barack Obama's January interview with Beliefnet.com:

Q: Is it difficult in the rough and tumble of campaign politics to stick to that, to live out your faith? And can you talk about whether you have a favorite prayer or what you pray about?

Obama: The prayer that I tell myself every night is a fairly simple one: I ask in the name of Jesus Christ that my sins are forgiven, that my family is protected and that I am an instrument of God's will. I'm constantly trying to align myself to what I think he calls on me to do. And sometimes you hear it strongly and sometimes that voice is more muted.

Obama, like Palin, prays that he is on God's side. Palin, unlike Obama, does not (so far as we know) claim to hear the voice of God. Why is she the one who gets painted as a religious nut?

According to CNN Politics.com, the official Obama campaign is preparing to roll out a new line of faith merchandise aimed at capturing all Christians but especially Roman Catholics.

Check out the Believers for Barack, Pro-Family Pro-Obama, and Catholics for Obama buttons, bumper stickers and signs….” says Obama Deputy Director of Religious Affairs Paul Monteiro in an e-mail obtained by the Beliefnet Web site. . .

Beliefnet reported that "Clergy for Change" and "Pro-Israel Pro-Obama" merchandise will soon be offered.