A Twitter hashtag about Christian women has revealed some ugly truths about misogyny in the church.

Christian author Sarah Bessey started the thread Tuesday night with the tag #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear to highlight issues surrounding male privilege in many Christian communities.

“It was just a conversation I was wanting to have with my followers about something I care about, but it resonated more widely than I expected,” Bessey told The Huffington Post on Thursday.

The conversation, which she said she initiated “on a whim,” quickly amassed hundreds of tweets from women sharing some of the dehumanizing things they’ve heard from others in their Christian communities.

“This hashtag is pulling back the curtain on the everyday lived experiences of women within the Church,” Bessey wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday morning.

"Women should be silent in the church!" springs to mind. 🙄 #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear — Sarah Bessey (@sarahbessey) April 19, 2017

"You are an amazing leader! You'd make an excellent pastor's wife someday!" #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear — Sarah Bessey (@sarahbessey) April 19, 2017

Bessey acknowledged she couldn’t vouch that every single tweet reflected things the women have actually heard, verbatim. But she noted, “For my own contributions: each statement was said to me, about me, in front of me.”

As several of the users noted, misogyny is by no means a Christian problem nor a religious one, alone. And the thread didn’t delve extensively into issues of race, class, sexual orientation or other important factors that create imbalances both within Christian communities and in society at large.

But the responses highlighted the high degree of white, male, and Christian privilege that exists in all areas of American society, and which also affect Christian women across the spectrum of backgrounds.

“I love the Church but I also know that we can’t fix what we refuse to acknowledge,” Bessey told HuffPost. I think hashtags like this are bringing light to some dark corners that we’d rather not see sometimes and I think there is an invitation from God in that ― an invitation to open up the windows and bring this to the light.”

Many of the tweets brought to light issues surrounding love, sex and marriage:

"You're a Christian feminist? Good luck finding a husband!" *cackles*#ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear — Hannah Menendez (@hannendez) April 19, 2017

You're equal to men in value; you just have a different role. God made you to submit to man's final authority#ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear — Jory Micah (@jorymicah) April 19, 2017

You wouldn't have to have labor pains if Eve didn't cause Adam to sin. #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear — Sara Marietta (@RaptorHunter1) April 20, 2017

Your ministry is raising Godly children #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear — Janene Putman (@jdixie0105) April 20, 2017

"Dress in a way that doesn't cause your brothers in Christ to sin".#ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear — natty got batty 🍑 (@n_m_king) April 20, 2017

Want to come to my Bible Study? We are learning how to be gentle submissive women. #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear — Kait Marie (@kmveronie) April 20, 2017

"Today we'll write purity letters to our future husbands to keep and give to them!" #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear — Megha Wescombe (@MeghaWescombe) April 20, 2017

Several tweets referred to “The Billy Graham Rule,” which was recently in the news after a 2002 interview with Vice President Mike Pence resurfaced. Pence reportedly told The Hill that “he never eats alone with a woman other than his wife and that he won’t attend events featuring alcohol without her by his side.”

The no-eating-with-another-woman rule was made popular by evangelical pastor Billy Graham in 1948 and plays into the notion that men have uncontrollable sexual urges that women are ultimately responsible for.

"We can't have women on our pastoral team because we follow the Billy Graham Rule." #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear — Sarah Bessey (@sarahbessey) April 19, 2017

Men are visual and struggle with lust. Women are emotional and we need to protect them. #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear This thread is 🔥👏🏻 — Hanna (@JoHannaE26) April 20, 2017

Summary of #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear:

"Christianity teaches that men are in control of everything except their own sexual desires." — Adam Gaylord (@AuthorGaylord) April 19, 2017

Many women also expressed frustration with the double standard they feel they face when it comes to school, work and leadership:

You're too pretty to be a minister. #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear — Hannah Sutton (@SuttonHannahL) April 20, 2017

Aren't you worried that college will distract you from your faith? #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear — Jess (@words_by_jess) April 20, 2017

"You're too young to teach."

I'm 31 with a degree in Christian counseling. Okay. 👌🏻 #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear — Stephanie Robbins (@prissygraceann) April 20, 2017

When you're overly qualified for the youth pastor position until you get to this. #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear pic.twitter.com/oh47iU9VTq — Kaylee Hagen (@kayhag44) April 19, 2017

"No Orthodox woman 'scholar' has ever made a worthwhile theological contribution." #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear — Alisa Katya (@orthodoxwoman) April 20, 2017

A number of men also chimed in to offer their support:

Dudes, check out #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear and listen — Spenser Chen (@spenschen) April 20, 2017

The #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear is heartbreaking. I am so sorry, sisters. Brothers, I encourage you to read and repent for what we've done — Paul Allen Riggs (@revriggs1) April 20, 2017

#ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear I've heard the word "modesty" come up so often relating to women; Modesty is for men, too, don't-cha know... — Billy H. (@hinsw9942) April 20, 2017

#ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear

As a recovering chauvinist/misogynist veiled as complementarianism, I'd like to apologize to all women. — Douglas Herron (@DouglasHerron) April 20, 2017

Women who speak up on social media about controversial topics often face backlash, and the #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear thread was no exception. Several trolls claimed the women were being bad Christians by supposedly stoking anti-church sentiment. Others mocked the women for being religious at all.

One user’s criticism of the thread prompted responses from several of the women:

#ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear has some sad stories about not being able to teach at church. 😭 meanwhile, Muslim women are stoned to death. — Benji (SamsonSinger) (@cuttinglocust) April 20, 2017

There are some fascinating Muslim women on Twitter. Do you follow them? Talk to them? Listen to them? #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear — Joi (@Joi_the_Artist) April 20, 2017

Are you doing anything to help the Muslim women you're so worried about? Or just using them as a stick to beat #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear — Joi (@Joi_the_Artist) April 20, 2017

We are tweeting our experiences in #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear.But we recognize sexism occurs in all religions and apart from religion — Lark (@LarkElisabeth) April 20, 2017

Bessey said she hoped the thread would help other women know they aren’t alone in their experiences. “Right away, through something that seems small like a hashtag conversation on Twitter, we all felt less alone, less isolated,” she said. “There is something so healing about ‘you, too? me, too!’”

This article has been updated to include additional comment from Sarah Bessey.