Crackdown on Russian Protestants

Here's a New York Times aricle/video on the crackdown on russian protestantism.

This is exactly what the early church was experiencing under the Roman Empire. Early Romans saw the church as a mysterious religious sect known for their odd displays of religious affections. For instance, the Lord's Supper was misunderstood as cannibalism.

How did the early church overcome these stereotypes?

Answer: Good behavior.

This is the reason Paul and Peter continuously plead with early Christians to make a good name for themselves. (For instance,See Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:12-18) They knew that in order to overcome these crazy stereotypes Christians must prove to outsiders that they are actually model citizens.

Application: 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 "...aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one."