No teaching in the Bible is clearer, more consistent, than the one which teaches that women are inferior to men. Below I show that it is taught that the woman was created from man, for man, that man is the glory of God, but woman is not. Furthermore, the evangelist Paul says that he'll not abide women teaching men, and he refers to Genesis to explain why.
Elsewhere in the Bible it's taught that women are not as righteous as men, are not clever enough to enter into contracts, are to keep silent and seek answers in private from their husbands, and are to treat their husbands as if they were God.
In the passage below we see that the Old Testament writer makes it clear that agreements entered into by the wife can be cancelled if the husband disapproves; once again the Bible places women in a subservient position. The man is the master of the women; the woman has little control over her life.I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.....For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. (1 Corinthians 11:2-9)
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. (Ephesians 5:22-24)
For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man (1 Corinthians 11:2-9)
If a woman living with her husband makes a vow or obligates herself by a pledge under oath and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand. Her husband has nullified them, and the LORD will release her. (Numbers 30:10-12)Blaming women for the fall of man, and assuming that women are not bright enough to make informed decisions, is just what one would expect from men--and gods--who believe that women are inferior to men; it's also what one would expect from anyone who accepts the teachings in Genesis, where we find God's writers telling us that the woman was created from man to be just a helper to man. It sort of reminds you of the modern-day cloning of body parts to be used as replacements. In Adam's case, part of him was cloned to create a being which would make it possible for him to reproduce himself.
Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. (1 Corinthians 14:34-35)...Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. (Timothy 2:11-12)If a widow has no one to take care of her and is under the age of 60 years, the people shall not take care of her because it's to be expected that she will marry again. Furthermore, such women can be expected to be busybodies and gossipers, because (or so the Bible writers apparently believed), that's just the way young widows are. Thus, Paul, alleged to be the founder of Christianity, is seen stereotyping women negatively. Is this the attitude of a man who believes that women are his equal?
Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate....Let [her not] be taken [care of] under threescore years old..... [these] younger widows... will marry...And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. (1 Timothy 5:5-13)The choice seems clear: those who believe--indeed, know--that the woman is not inferior to man cannot also believe that the Bible is the word of God; one of the beliefs has to be given up.
Joseph F. Alward
"Skeptical Views of Christianity and the Bible"