Women

William Branham admitted to having struggled with destructive views of women from an early age. According to Branham, he had thoughts of killing women during his youth, and still struggled with thoughts of killing as an evangelist.[1] Branham recognized the fact that others were aware of his issue with women, and frequently stated that his thoughts of killing excluded women within his own following.[2] According to the testimony of former followers, Branham's statements were used as the basis for physical and sexual abuse. [3]

Branham's views of Biblical women were much the same. In the versions of Branham's stage persona that believed that Jesus was God and not Michael the Archangel, Branham claimed that Jesus spoke negatively to Mary by calling her "woman" instead of "mother". [4] According to Strong's Concordance, however, the word that Jesus used to address Mary was one of respect.[5]

There are many examples of respect for women in the Bible. The first miracle Jesus performed[6] was performed in response to a plea from His mother when he turned water into wine for guests at a wedding celebration. The resurrection of Lazarus was the result of a request made by two women [7]. Jesus first revealed himself as the Messiah to a woman, [8] and he was anointed with oil by a woman.[9] Women were among the very first "believers" who made up the early church, [10] and the first church in Europe began with a group of women who continued to meet in the home of a woman.[11] Women were included with men when Jesus expanded group of disciples. [12] He commissioned women as the very first evangelists. [13] Women were included in the group of disciples who for prayer after the Jesus ascended, [14] and at least one early church was either led by a woman or cooperatively led by a woman. [15] There are examples describing the early church being staffed by many women, [16] as well as examples of the early apostles promoting gender equality. [17]

Branham, however, took the doctrinal position against gender equality during later versions of his stage persona. According to Branham, the female human was the "tree of death". [18] These positions were often in direct conflict with passages of scripture supportive of women. Proverbs, for example, describes the female as the "tree of life". [19] Branham claimed that women were not in God's original creation, [20] designed by Satan [21] to be the lowest of all animals on earth. [22]

Examples of William Branham's destructive theology concerning women:

She is not in God's original creation. She is a by-product
Branham, 65-0221M

Now, there is nothing designed that can deceive, and be deceived, as easy as a woman. There is nothing designed or can stoop as low as a woman can. Think now. There is nothing designed, in all creation, that can stoop as low as a woman can.
Branham, 65-0221M

There is no hog, no dog, or no other animal, designed like her or can stoop as low as she can stoop. Now, that is true.
Branham, 65-0221M

Just think of this now. There is nothing in the world, made in God's creation, that can be immoral, stoop that low. You say, "Wait a minute, 'man'!" We're going to get to that. The woman has to say "yes." Notice, there is nothing designed to stoop so low, or be filthy, but a woman. A dog can't do it, a hog can't do it, a bird can't do it. No animal is immoral, nor it can be, for it is not designed so it can be. A female hog can't be immoral, a female dog can't be immoral, a female bird can't be immoral. A woman is the only thing can do it. Now you see where Satan went?
Branham, 65-0221M

She is designed, alone, for filth and unclean living. A dog can't, and no other female can. It's just the woman that can.
Branham, 65-0221M

You may question me about Satan being her designer, but that's the Truth. Satan designed her. He still does it.
Branham, 65-0221M

Why didn't He make her like that in the beginning, like the rest of His females? Because it would be unbecoming to Him. He is the Fountain of all purity. That's the reason He had to let Satan get a hold of her, what he done in the perversion. Such a creature would be, would not be becoming to Him, originally designed for.
Branham, 65-0221M

Excuse this, young ladies. She is nothing but a human garbage can, a sex exposal. That's all she is, an immoral woman, is a human sexual garbage can, a pollution, where filthy, dirty, ornery, low-down filth is disposed by her. What is she made this way for? For deception. Every sin that ever was on the earth was caused by a woman. And an analyst just from Chicago, a—a woman wrote this article, the police force; that they chased down, in United States, metropolitan United States, that "Ninety-eight percent of every crime that was ever did in any form, in the United States, there was either a woman in it or behind it.
Branham, 65-0221M

When, in God's sight, the Word, she is the lowest of all animals that God put on the earth.
Branham, 65-0221M

You remember what was the first perversion? Was a woman.
Branham, 62-0706

This was my remark then, "They're not worth a good clean bullet to kill them with it." That's right. And I hated women. That's right. And I just have to watch every move now, to keep from still thinking the same thing.
Branham, 59-0419

He said, 'Look, Billy, there's one thing you do not understand in cattle buying.' Said, 'I think you ought to hold to your road preaching.' But said, 'You don't understand cattle.' He said, 'Now, look at that calf down there.' We walked down there. Said, 'See that wild stare in her eyes?' I said, 'Yeah.' Said, 'Her children, and her grandchildren, and her great, great, grandchildren will still have that wild stare.' And said, 'They'll run theirself poor. They'll never be a mother to their calves.' And said, 'You never could fatten them; they'll never make beef.' He said, 'Look at this little calf here that's sold. Look how gentle she looks. Look at that peaceful look in her face, that kind look, no stare in her eyes.' Said, 'She'll be a real mammy to her calf; and her calf's calf, and calf's calf will continue to be that way.' And said, 'They'll all of them be mammys, if they can get the right kind of a breeder bull to that calf (see?), that'll make their children. But that starey look in the face will always make a poor herd of cattle, if a man's trying to buy cattle.' I said, 'Yes, sir! Thank you.' 63 And the same thing applies by women.
Branham, William. 1964, August 23. Questions And Answers #2 (64-0823E). 

Over time, oppression of women in Branham's "Message" cult following became even more severe — especially with regards to dress code. Early photos of the Branham family capture Branham's wife and daughters wearing skirts above the knees, sometimes with sleeveless tops. The cult following today condemns this type of female clothing as "scandalous," and cult leaders often refer to women showing the flesh of their knees or shoulders as "harlots." Few people are aware that their insults are also against Branham's family and/or William Branham himself.

Along with the verbal abuse, some become physically violent as Branham instructed. Branham often repremanded the male parts of his congregation for not being more physically aggressive towards women that violated cult rules of dress code and more. In Branham's sermons, men were instructed to physically assault women with boards. Those caught wearing makeup were to suffer a worse fate; Branham claimed that Jezebel of the Old Testament was fed to the dogs for "wearing makeup", and because of this, any woman seen wearing cosmetics were to be referred to as "dog meat" (to be killed).

Now, you can take some of these little two-by-fours if you want to, but that's what God said. That's what Christ said. Now, that's the truth. Oh, God be merciful. What must the great Holy Spirit think when He comes before the Father? You say, "Why you picking on us women?" All right, men, here you are. Any man that'll let his wife smoke cigarettes and wear them kind of clothes, shows what he's made out of. He's not very much of a man. That's exactly right. True. He don't love her or he'd take a board and blister her with it. You know that's the truth. Now, I don't say that to be smart. I'm telling you the truth. That's right.
Branham, 58-0324

But there was only one woman in the Bible that ever painted her face, and that was Jezebel. That's right. The Bible said she painted her face. And do you know what God did to her? He fed her to the dogs. That's exactly right. So when you see a woman with painted face, you can say, "It's God's dog meat." That's exactly what God said it was. Now, you know that's true.
Branham, 58-0324