Don't be fooled into thinking that the state cares what you believe. This roman official could care less if the people believed in Jesus or Artemis. He just didn't want to get in trouble. The state doesn't care what we believe, they are concerned with what we do. In this part of Acts Christianity is called "The Way", it's not called "the idea" or "the doctrine" or "the theology", it was call the WAY. it denotes a doing. Christ promised persecution if we were to follow Him. Why is the American church not being persecuted (and don't try to argue with me that it is, because it's not)? The only answer has to be that we aren't doing anything. Satan isn't worried about what we believe, but he gets worried when that belief works itself out into how we live our lives.

Acts 19:40