A Christian fundamentalist group is praying for a deluge to drown out Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention in two weeks' time.

Focus on the Family is asking for "abundant, torrential" downpours to flood Denver and silence Senator Obama when he accepts the Democratic Party's presidential nomination on August 28.

"Would it be wrong to ask people to pray for rain of Biblical proportins," asks an umbrella wielding Stuard Shepard in a video put out by the ultra conservative evangelical group. He asks for the rain to start "two minutes before the acceptance speech begins."

Tickets to Mr Obama's speech, in a vast Denver stadium that seats 75,000 people, have all been snapped up.

On the video, Mr Shepard says "I'm still pro-life, and I'm still in favour of marriage as being between one man and one woman." Apparently referring to the Republican presidential candidate John McCain, he adds, "I would like the next president who will select justices for the next Supreme Court to agree."

Focus for the Family pulled its video clip 24 hours after it was posted, but it can still be seen on the internet. In a statement Mr Shepard said that the video was intended to be "mildly humorous."

The organisation has attacked Mr Obama in the past. Its leader, James Dobson, recently accused the Illinois senator of distorting the Bible's message.

"He is dragging biblical understanding through the gutter," he said.

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