Quote (Sioux @ 8 Feb 2010 14:51)
"I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent." -1 Timothy 2:12
I once wrote a paper about how that verse was proof of the power of women in the earliest days of Christianity. Paul got all pissed off about it, but Christianity would never ever have gotten as powerful as it was without women.
One of the other big elements was the proscription against abortion, which was a common practice in Rome. Thus, Christian populations grew at much faster rates and were full of excellent proselytizing wimminz.