Let's examine wmscog's Truth of Life about the Gen. 1:26-27 in which they claim God made female in His own image too. (http://english.watv.org/truth/truth_life/content_mother.asp) .
" And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.....So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." (Gen. 1:26,27)
In the first line of this verse God says 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness'. Note here the noun "Man". God wanted to create "man" (male) in His own image and likeness as I see it.
In the second line, God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him, note "man" and "him" which ,I think, clearly indicate towards Male gender. If God meant male and female both by using "man" in the sentence, He could write something like this -
"So God created male and female in his own image, in the image of God created he them."
In the last line of the verse I am discussing, the scripture says, "male and female created he them." Here it is evident that God created male and female But (a big But here) its not evident that God created male and female both in His image. The writer of the scripture stressed on the creation of "Man" in God's image as is evident by the his repeated sentence. Just take a second to think that why the scripture writer stressed on ‘man’ in God's image so much but when he mentions 'male and female' he says nothing about God's image. He just says "male and female created he them". He could add a few more words to make it clear. For example: (Added words in bold)
"male and female created he them in His own image"
To me, these verses mean that "God created male and female in which the male (man) was created in God's image."
It is further evident by the sequence of the creation of man and woman (Adam & Eve) and the technique used by God to create them. God created Adam first. So when He expressed His desire to make man in His own image He created Adam (male). Note here God didn't created Adam and Eve simultaneously. This makes it clear that there is no female in the Heavenly Family. As for Eve, she was created out of necessity not out of God's desire to create her in His own image. Lets look at the scriptures-
"And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help mate for him. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam.......but for Adam there was not found an help mate for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman"
(Gen. 2:18-22)
Note in these verses that God shows concern about the loneliness of Adam and further in the verse God says He will make a "Help Mate" for Adam. God wants to make a help mate for Adam for his loneliness here not for His own desire to create Woman in His own image. Even at this point God doesn't create Eve, instead He formed 'every beast of the field' out of the ground and brought them to Adam but still none fitted to Adam's need. Only then God made woman out of Adam.
Technique :
The technique God used to create Adam and Eve is different. God created Adam out of the ground. Then in order to make a help mate for Adam, God created beasts, also out of the ground. Later, when God didn't find any of the beasts similar to Adam, He created Eve NOT out of the ground but out of the Adam. Here arise 3 questions for wmscog -
1) Why didn't God created Adam and Eve simultaneously if a woman existed in heavenly family?
2) Why did God created beasts first to be Adam's help mate or why didn't God create Eve as soon as He realized the need of a help mate for Adam?
3) Why did God created Eve out of Adam instead of creating her out of the ground like He created Adam?
You (reader) can find the answers to the first two questions in the article above. The answer to the third questions is as follows -
Ans : God first created beasts out of the ground to be the help mate of Adam. As we can see today in the zoo in our cities that none of the beasts look similar to human or say Adam. Later, when God found none similar to the Adam He created Eve but not out of the ground. Why ? Because if He had created anything in the similarity of Adam, who was in the similarity of God, He would have ended up creating a brother for Adam (another male). God is male and so He created a male (Adam) in His own image. If God had created another male to be help mate for Adam, then they could not live together in peace because both are dominating by nature as God is dominating over the universe. We can find this example in the bible- Cane and Able, Esau and Jacob could not live together. There can't be two kings in a country.
Therefore, God created Eve out of Adam, as a part of Adam, weaker than him but loved by him as his own body part. Similar in his image yet different. To share his works in the world. To give him comfort and bear his children. If God had not created women then men had to give birth to children (male only). Imagine, how could a pregnant man work in the field or go to battle to fight the enemy?