I don’t want to address the validity of the Bible here, but you can find out for yourself through Josh McDowell’s book, “Evidence that Demands a Verdict”.  He spent many years investigating the legitimacy of the text from the standpoint of a lawyer going to trial.
http://www.josh.org/site/c.ddKDIMNtEqG/b.4023555/k.BE5B/Home.htm.

Role of women in the church:  Ehrman uses 1 Corinthians 14:35-36 and the 16th chapter of Romans to show a contradiction.  This is somewhat deceptive, because of context.  Let’s look at Corinthians.  Now the church at Corinth was suffering from problems instigated by church members by showing out, abusing the gifts, and committing sexual immorality.  Paul was trying to address these issues and does comment on the conduct of women in the church as such.  Read the text starting at verse 26.

 1Co 14:26-40 (ISV)

What, then, does this mean, brothers? When you gather, everyone has a psalm, teaching, revelation, tongue, or interpretation. Everything must be done for upbuilding. (27) If anyone speaks in a tongue, only two or three at the most should do so, one at a time, and somebody must interpret. (28) If an interpreter is not present, he should remain silent in the church and speak to himself and God. (29) Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. (30) If a revelation is made to another person who is seated, the first person should be silent. (31) For everyone can prophesy in turn, so that everyone can be instructed and everyone can be encouraged. (32) The spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets, (33) for God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, (34) the women must keep silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak out, but must place themselves in submission, as the law also says. (35) If they want to learn anything, they should ask their own husbands at home, for it is inappropriate for a woman to speak out in church. (36) Did God’s word originate with you? Are you the only people it has reached? (37) If anyone thinks he is a prophet or a spiritual person, he must acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. (38) But if anyone ignores this, he should be ignored. (39) Therefore, my brothers, desire the ability to prophesy, and do not prevent others from speaking in tongues. (40) But everything must be done in a proper and orderly way.

Romans 16 also has nothing to say about the roles of women in the church.  The only reference to any woman is Pheobe.

Rom 16:1-2 (ISV)

 Now I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant in the church at Cenchreae. (2)Welcome her in the Lord as is appropriate for saints, and provide her with anything she may need from you, for she has assisted many people, including me. 

Clearly, he is asking the Romans to accept their new sister as a servant of Christ.  It says nothing as to what role she is to play. 

“Why does God allow suffering in the world?”:  This is a tough question and not easy to answer.  No one can deny that people do suffer and for many reasons, such as sickness, grief, injury, and persecution, but no suffering lasts forever, except those who find themselves in hell.  We all suffer; we all face trials every day.  Our pain and joy make us who we are.  What we experience in life goes forward into the afterlife, so without suffering, we would not be human.

This still does not answer the question fully.  God uses suffering to test, to build faith, and to build character.  Many misunderstand this and see God as a sadist, who loves to see people suffer or even worse, He just doesn’t care.  That could not be further from the truth.  We may not understand why a child has to die from cancer or a loved one dies in a fire, but God does use those situations to reveal himself to us, to show us He does love us and suffers with us.  I once heard a commentator speak on this, but his question was much more encompassing.  “Why did God allow this whole thing to happen?  Why not just prevent Lucifer from the start?”  The answer is a simple one.  God wants us to freely choose to love him.  He could of made us all robots with no free will, but He wants a garden and not a factory.  How can he prove to us that he truly and unconditionally love us?; by dying for us.  Christ suffered as we suffer.  He allows it to happen, because we allow it to happen.

Ehrman: There was no resurrection:  This one really surprised me.  This is the blessed hope and he denies it.  He uses Paul’s writing 1 Corinthians 14 to prove his point, didn’t he read 1 Corinthians 15?

1Co 15:1-8 (ISV)

Now I’m making known to you, brothers, the gospel that I proclaimed to you, which you accepted, on which you have taken your stand, (2) and by which you are also being saved if you hold firmly to the message I proclaimed to you-unless, of course, your faith was worthless. (3) For I passed on to you the most important points of what I received: Christ died for our sins in keeping with the Scriptures, (4) he was buried, he was raised on the third day in keeping with the Scriptures-and is still alive!- (5) and he was seen by Cephas, and then by the twelve. (6) After that, he was seen by more than 500 brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. (7) Next he was seen by James, then by all the apostles, (8) and finally he was seen by me, as though I were born abnormally late.

Paul clearly speaks of witnesses including himself.  When this was written, most of the eye  witnesses were still alive.  Anyone could verify his claims by the witnesses.  Also, without the resurrection, there is no hope of being saved, because if Christ did not rise again, we hang our faith in a dead man.

As for Mr. Ehrman, he also had some bad experiences with other Christians; read the article. 
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/05/15/bible.critic/index.html 
His father was dying of cancer and his youth pastor anointed his father with shampoo and tried to get his father to confess hidden sins.  Well, those kind of things happen, because we are human and make mistakes.  The youth pastor meant well, but he was a little illiterate of the scriptures and acted like one of Job’s righteous friends.

One final comment.  Mr. Erhman chose to become agnostic (without knowledge) (Greek: agnostic; Latin: moronic), because of the research he did.  He has the right to chose just as we do, but I plead with you that you do not take my word for it or Mr. Ehrman’s.  Read the scripture for yourself and be like the Bereans.  They accepted what Paul said with an open mind and heart, but went back to the scriptures daily to prove what Paul was telling them was true.  (Acts 17:11)

May God bless you.