Acts 12:1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.
Many people in positions of authority do things because they see their popularity change at those times. Authority and greed do tend to change people without warning!
Herod started harassing the Christians and even killed James the brother of John. When he saw the Jews were pleased, he continued to harass them further, putting Peter in prison.
Don’t be put off by what the world does because God sees everything and continues to allow things to happen for a reason; He sees the bigger picture, trust Him.