Let’s talk about one of the most eyebrow-raising verses in the New Testament:
“But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.” (1 Timothy 2:15, NIV)
So, in a book that otherwise insists salvation comes by faith alone—not works, not gender, not life circumstances—suddenly we’re told that a woman’s ticket to salvation is… having babies?
It doesn’t make sense. And here’s why.
It Contradicts the Core Message of the Gospel
Every major New Testament writer—from Paul himself to John and Peter—agrees on one thing:
Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ, period. Not through good works, not through rituals, and definitely not through reproductive biology.
If childbearing were a requirement, what about:
- Women who can’t have children?
- Women who choose not to?
- Women who never marry?
- Virgins like Paul encourages in 1 Corinthians 7?
Would they be denied salvation because they didn’t fulfill a biological function? That’s not just absurd—it’s cruel.
The Salvation Criteria Is… Uterus Functionality?
Imagine a system of belief that claims all humans are sinful and need salvation. Then imagine that the salvation plan for half the population is dependent on pushing a baby out of their body.
Yes, according to this verse, women are “saved” by childbearing—as long as they’re also faithful, holy, and modest. It’s like a bizarre religious loyalty program: obey the rules, have a baby, and you might just earn eternal life.
What happens if a woman is infertile? What about nuns? What about someone who just… doesn’t want kids? Is their salvation less valid?
This isn’t divine logic. This is reproductive gatekeeping in religious clothing.
If This Is God’s Word, God Has Some Explaining to Do
For a supposedly all-loving, all-knowing deity, this verse reads more like something out of a dusty rulebook written by men with control issues than by an omniscient being.
The idea that a woman’s moral or spiritual worth is tied to motherhood reeks of a worldview that sees women as vessels—not individuals. It’s not inspiring. It’s insulting.
And if that’s divine design? Hard pass.
Inconsistency Is the Bible’s Middle Name
Let’s not pretend this verse is an isolated mystery. The Bible is filled with contradictions on salvation, women’s roles, and what God actually wants.
One minute it’s “faith alone saves you.”
The next, it’s “faith plus childbirth—if you’re a woman.”
It’s almost like this wasn’t written by a single, coherent god… but by fallible humans, shaped by their culture and biases.
Religion as Control, Not Enlightenment
This verse doesn’t just contradict science, logic, and basic human dignity—it reveals a more disturbing undercurrent. Religions, particularly Abrahamic ones, have long used control over women’s bodies as a tool for social stability.
“Be submissive.”
“Cover your head.”
“Bear children to be saved.”
The message is always the same: Your value is in your obedience, not your autonomy. Which is exactly the kind of thinking that atheists—and honestly, anyone who values freedom—should reject.
Final Thought?
If this verse is supposed to reflect divine truth, it’s not a flattering one. It’s a reminder that much of religious doctrine was created in a time when women were property and childbirth was destiny—not choice.
And yet, some still claim these texts hold eternal truth.
Maybe it’s time to stop making excuses for verses like 1 Timothy 2:15 and start calling them what they are: ancient nonsense that has no place in a rational, equal society.
