The Bible nowhere teaches the equality of man and woman, but from Genesis to Revelation it treats her as man’s inferior. The mythology of the ancient Hebrew story of the Garden of Eden has proved to be a veritable curse to her. “And thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee” ([Gen. 3 : 16]), has been the poisoned chalice put to her lips for over two thousand years. Paul the founder of the church, insists upon the subjection of woman. “Likewise ye wives be in subjection to your own husbands.” ([1 Peter 3 : 1].)
Wives submit yourselves to your own husbands. ([Col. 3 : 18].)
As the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. ([Eph. 5 : 24].)
The church has uniformly maintained this doctrine, and demanded in the marriage ceremony that she promise to love, honor, and obey her husband.
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 (was created) for the man. ([1 Cor. 11 : 8, 9].)
Divorce.
Woman is unjustly treated in the matter of divorce, in both the Old and the New Testament. In the Old Testament the husband had the power to divorce his wife if she failed to please him, while the wife could not divorce her husband for any cause.
When a man hath taken a wife and marries her, and it come to pass that she find no favor in his eye, then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it into her hand and send her out of his house. ([Deut. 24 : 1].)
When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies and the Lord thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captives and seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her that thou wouldst have her to be thy wife, then thou shalt bring her home to thine house, she shall shave her head and pare her nails and she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house and bewail her father and mother a full month, and after that thou shalt go in unto her and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife. And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will, but thou shalt not sell her at all for money; thou shalt not make merchandise of her because thou hast humbled her. ([Deut. 21 : 10–14].)
Jesus says, “Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery; and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband, committeth adultery.” ([Luke 16 : 18].)