Clerics are stated as being proficient in the weapon of their god, as are Warpriests.
So why are Paladins not proficient in the weapon of their god? They are their god's champions after all.
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Likely because back when it was only the core rulebook, Paladins were already proficient in all martial weapons, and the only gods paladins could follow gave the following weapon proficiencies:
Iomedae = Longsword
Torag = Warhammer
Abadar = Crossbow
Irori = Unarmed Strike
Shelyn = Glaive
Sarenrae = Scimitar
All those were already covered with simple and martial weapon proficiency.
I believe things like the Empyreal Lords had yet to be introduced with full write-ups on folios, domains and favored weapons and the like.
What about the Inner Sea Gods?
Why not Errata it, easily done especially with the Warpriest just out to make all Divine warriors match?
I am just curious because what if you wanted to follow someone like Ragathiel who has a bastard sword for a weapon, his domains are pretty good for fluff and flavor.
I was just wondering why it was like that.
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Pathfinder Core Rulebook - Published August 2009
Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Gods - Published May 2014.
In other words, Ragathiel did not exist as a rules element at the time that the Core Rulebook was published, unless there was a write-up on him including his favored weapon prior to August 2009.
The creators of the Core Rulebook were trying to minimize the room taken up by text so there could be nice pictures/decently sized font/less paper and ink used per copy printed. The Cleric doesn't have a level 20 capstone ability because there wasn't enough room because his domain powers had already taken up pages upon pages in the book according to James Jacobs.
Including "and with his deity's favored weapon" would have been a useless statement that added nothing to the paladin at the time, while costing the company money.
Errata are typically reserved for de-facto errors in the wording of abilities that lead to unintended imbalances or ambiguities that cause table disputes, not patching clear cut design decisions made to address other pressing concerns in the publication business.
Does that make it more clear as to the possible explanation? You could even go to the thread I linked and ask James Jacobs directly. He's quite good about answering questions on that thread.
I am assuming it would not be out of place to just house rule it, say it is a presumed rule. For example anyone using Fencer's Grace till they release/d the splat book with it.
I am just curious because what if you wanted to follow someone like Ragathiel who has a bastard sword for a weapon, his domains are pretty good for fluff and flavor.
I was just wondering why it was like that.
Bastard Sword is usable as a martial weapon -- you just need Exotic Weapon Proficiency to one-hand it; otherwise you have to two-hand it.
This is like you need Exotic Weapon Proficiency with Aldori Dueling Sword to use it with Weapon Finesse and get Dex-to-Damage with it, but otherwise you can use it like a Longsword.
And a guide pointed out to me that Paladin has an Iroran Paladin archetype (that is, a Paladin of Irori; Enlightened Paladin on d20pfsrd.com, and they haven't updated the archetype table or the top level archetype list below that to include it -- you have to dig down from the list to a separate page to find it). This archetype gets Improved Unarmed Strike of the Monk variety (not just the generic feat), so Paizo actually has dealt with the issue of major deities having special favored weapons. Irori also has a Champion of Irori Prestige Class that starts from a multiclass of Paladin and Monk, although oddly enough, Rules as Written, Iroran Paladin doesn't qualify for entry (due to replacing Smite Evil) with Personal Trial, which lacks Smite Evil's ability to bypass Damage Reduction but which also works on non-Evil targets (more like Cavalier's Challenge).