Bible is an old religious text and it looks like discrimination against women begins there.
In the Old Testament there are clear indications that a man can rape a woman and if the act is discovered he has to pay her father a few shekels of silver and later he is permitted to marry her. See Deuteronomy 22:28-30 "If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl's father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives."
Fathers could sell their daughters as slaves to other men. See Exodus 21:7-8 "And in case a man should sell his daughter as a slave girl, she will not go out in the way that the slave men go out. If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master so that he doesn't designate her as a concubine but causes her to be redeemed, he will not be entitled to sell her to a foreign people….” Girls who engaged in prostitution could be burned! Read Leviticus 21:9 "And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire." There is no prostitution without the involvement of men but they are not to be touched! Women are considered evil in the Bible. "Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die." The Bible narrators made woman fail in the test and the wrath of God fell upon her. The birth of a daughter is less desirable: "Leviticus 12:2-5, if a woman gives birth to a baby boy, then she becomes unclean for 7 days. But if she gives birth to a baby girl, then she becomes unclean for 14 days! If a woman had her period and touches a chair or a bed or anything else then that item immediately becomes unclean. Anyone who then touches those things shall also become unclean. They must then bathe themselves and wash their clothes because they have touched an item that a menstruating woman has touched.” What is so unclean about menstruation?
In the epistles (New Testament) of the apostles we read: ‘Women should learn in subjugation and silence. They do not have authority over men and they should not teach. Women must keep silent in Churches. It is shameful for them to open their mouths therein. If they have a question they should ask their husbands before going to church and then their husbands will ask for them in the church.’ ‘ She should always cover her head while praying. If a woman prays with her head uncovered then she must shave her head.’ Is there anything dirty about the head of a woman? The books of the Bible maintain that God ordained men to rule over women for all time. Adam and Eve were not equal. He was created in the image and glory of God and Eve in his image. . Adam neither got deceived nor sinned but Eve did both. Saints like St. Augustin said: ‘Woman is a snare, her heart is a trap, and her hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but she will ensnare the sinner.’ While it is possible to find one upright man in every thousand, it is impossible to find even one single upright woman.’ How absurd!
