中国社会在过去七十多年间经历了翻天覆地的变化，这不仅仅体现在经济发展、科技进步上，更深刻地影响了人们的价值观、道德判断和社会行为方式。许多曾被推崇的美德，如诚信、见义勇为、守望相助，在现代社会中逐渐让位于谨慎、明哲保身甚至冷漠的态度。社会的这一系列变化就像青蛙在温水里煮熟一样，不知不觉间，我们的世界已经换了一副模样。

    曾几何时，我们的父辈可以在街头与流氓据理力争，而今天，你敢多看地铁上的小偷一眼，都可能被反手诬陷一番。过去，“路见不平，拔刀相助”是侠义，如今，“多一事不如少一事”是智慧；过去，“助人为乐”是美德，如今，“助人被讹”是教训。社会教会我们不再扶起跌倒的老人，不再制止身边的侵害，甚至不再敢于说真话。我们的社会环境究竟是怎么了？是谁变了？是谁在推动这些变化？

    下面，我们就来回顾那些“让人心寒的变化”，看看是谁让我们逐渐失去勇气，失去正义感，失去对社会的期待，甚至失去辨别是非的能力。而更重要的是，我们还能不能找回那些被我们遗失的善良与勇气？并在最后反思：面对这些转变，我们该如何保持清醒、辨明是非，作出基督门徒应有的选择，下面选几个例子和弟兄姐妹们一起思考：

一、从信任到冷漠：人与人之间的距离拉远了

1.不敢扶倒地的老人：你是好人，但证据呢？

• 早期社会（1949-1980s）：在集体主义和“雷锋精神”的影响下，人们普遍愿意帮助陌生人，那时的父母总教孩子要乐于助人，“老人摔倒了要赶紧扶起来”，助人为乐是一种社会共识。
• 改革开放后（1990s-2000s）：社会流动性增强，人与人之间关系变得陌生化，但仍有一定的道德责任感。
• 近年来（2000s-2020s）：出现多起“扶老人反被讹诈”的案件，特别是南京彭宇案（2006年），法院裁定彭宇需赔偿，导致公众普遍认为“扶人要谨慎”，形成了社会性恐惧。雷锋现象被质疑、摈弃，“助人为乐”这条“金科玉律”已经悄然改写成：“你先拿手机拍个视频再说”。

    简言之，见义勇为者可能反被追责，导致人们选择冷漠旁观，反映出公共安全与社会信任下降。与此相仿，遇到诈骗、偷窃等犯罪行为，普通人往往因不愿惹麻烦而选择不报警或不插手，在公共场合不愿与陌生人互动，避免“好心办坏事”或被误解，时下的众多平台博主纷纷将这些“处世智慧”加以传播，并成为越来越多的年轻父母教育孩子安全外出的法宝，免得一时善意，换来无妄之灾。我们真的变冷漠了吗？不，热心仍在，只是学聪明了。只是这种“聪明”，让整个社会再难看到热心而变得冰冷刺骨。

2.见义勇为？你可能是下一个受害者

    小时候，我们听过的故事是这样的：“狼来了，牧羊人挺身而出，制服恶狼。”而如今的故事是这样的：“狼来了，牧羊人挺身而出，结果被判故意伤害罪。”，2020年，北京一位外卖小哥发现有女孩被陌生男子拖进小巷，勇敢上前制止，结果因“殴打他人”被拘留五日。“见义勇为”本是值得赞扬的，可是在现实中，英雄不一定有好下场。

    近年来，由于法律保障不足、见义勇为者反被追责的案例增多，如某些暴力制止犯罪的行为被视为“过度防卫”，导致公众倾向于选择沉默和回避。2018年，江苏昆山发生了一起持刀伤人案，被害人小伙被混混围攻，抢下刀反击，最终致对方死亡。结果，这位自卫者竟然被警方拘留调查，社会舆论一片哗然。“以后遇到暴徒，怎么办？等死？”
    在这样的环境下，人们开始学会了装聋作哑，有人被抢劫？当作没看见；有人被欺负？忍住别管。反正，你管了，事情就变成你的事，而你不管，事情就跟你无关。从“英雄本色”到“多一事不如少一事”，我们活成了自己最讨厌的样子。

二、从正义到顺从：社会为何不再允许你表达不满？

3.对公仆的荒谬政策，人们学会了沉默

• 过去：中国历史上，普通人至少还能“进谏”、“诉冤”，甚至在极端时期，如大跃进、文化大革命，普通人还有一定的集体反抗意识，如知青上访、红卫兵内部斗争。
• 改革开放后：社会逐步市场化，公民权利意识增强，90年代出现个体户、农民抗税及工人罢工等个体抗争行为。
• 近年来：由于信息管控从严、集体行动受限，大规模集会现象几乎绝迹，大多数人选择“消极顺从”，甚至“躺平”。在社交媒体上发言可能被“寻衅滋事”，被约谈、被封号；讨论可能被打上“恶意传播不实信息”的标签，被“喝茶”警告；甚至，在某些环境下，连一个讽刺的表情包，都能让你“社死”或丢掉工作。

现实案例：

    2022年，一位上海居民因在朋友圈批评封控政策，被警察上门警告。 

    2023年，一名大学生因转发外媒报道被学校处分。 

    于是，我们学会了装傻、学会了顺从、学会了闭嘴。为什么大家不再敢批评？因为代价太大。可是，如果所有人都不再说话，这片土地上还能听见真相吗？

三、从“重道德，讲诚信”到“重利益，讲实用”：信仰崩塌与社会堕落的深层逻辑 

4. 诚信文化的衰退：从“诚信为本”到“逐利至上” 

• 过去：诚信是商人立身之本，“一诺千金”广受推崇。 
• 改革开放后：商业欺诈、假货横行，诚信体系受到冲击。 
• 近年来：合同违约、网络诈骗、学术造假频发，社会信任感持续下降。诚信变成了“商业策略”和一种包装，而不再是道德信仰。 

5. 义利观念的变化：信仰崩塌后，社会只剩赤裸的功利计算 

• 过去：儒家文化强调“义”大于“利”，如“君子爱财，取之有道”。 
• 市场化后：财富成为衡量成功的唯一标准，炒房、投机、资本运作被推崇，年轻人追求“一夜暴富”，而道德、善良、正义，成了“傻子的游戏”，甚至有博主感慨道：但凡所谓成功的没有一个好人。 

四、从“国家至上”到“个人优先”：信仰自由的破灭 

6. 个人信仰自由的破灭：从自由信仰到极权控制 

• 1949年前：基督教虽小众，但信仰自由，人们可以自由聚会和传教。 
• 建国后：宗教信仰被“无神论”的一统思想映射为“封建迷信”，受到系统性收编和打压，更有许多牧师和信徒遭到迫害。 
• 近年来：信仰自由进一步收缩，基督教因着“政治化”要求调整了宣讲方向，政府试图用意识形态改造教义。人们开始怀疑信仰的真实性，甚至放弃信仰。 

    中国的基督教从自由到受限，再到被政治化，最终掩盖了真正的信仰自由。这不仅是对基督徒的打压，也是对整个社会道德的腐蚀，“一统化”的政治要求也是上述众多社会价值观有序沦陷的根源。 

现实案例： 

    许多家庭教会被取缔，信徒因私下聚会而被处罚。 

    圣经教义被修改，教义被“政治化”，以符合一统意识形态的要求。 

7. 从道德至上到权力至上：极权统治如何摧毁社会价值体系 

    当权力成为唯一标准，道德变得无关紧要，信仰也理所当然的处于打压之列。人们不再衡量对错，而是考虑如何在体制中生存。正义、勇敢、善良被嘲讽为“天真”，谄媚和隐忍成为“现实智慧”。在这样的环境下，信仰被边缘化，基督徒面临更大的挑战。 

结语：基督徒如何回应？ 

    社会在变，信仰在受挑战，但基督的道永不改变。面对这些价值观的变迁，作为基督徒，必须保持清醒，依靠主所赐的装束武装自己的身心灵，不被世界同化。 

1. 拒绝冷漠，选择善良 

    即便社会教会我们“扶人需谨慎”，但基督信仰告诉我们：“爱人如己”。在保证自身安全的情况下，我们仍可以勇敢行善。 

2. 拒绝盲从，选择真理 

    世界希望我们顺从，但基督希望我们站立在真理之上。“你们必晓得真理，真理必叫你们得以自由。”（约翰福音8:32） 

3. 拒绝沉默，选择发声 

    黑暗中的一束光虽微弱，但能照亮前方。愿我们做光做盐，影响世界，而不是被世界改造。 

    社会价值观在变，正义感在消亡，但我们仍能选择不变——不变得冷漠、不变得懦弱、不变得麻木。愿你在这个时代，仍然保有热血、正义、勇气，做一个真正的基督门徒，成为光，成为盐，影响世界，而不是被世界改造！

Who Is Changing Our Social Values?

Over the past seventy-plus years, Chinese society has undergone earth-shaking changes—not only in terms of economic development and technological progress, but also in the way people view values, make moral judgments, and behave socially. Many virtues once highly prized—such as honesty, righteous courage, and mutual aid—have gradually given way in modern society to attitudes of caution, self-preservation, and even indifference. These social changes have crept in as subtly as a frog boiled in warming water; before we know it, our world has assumed an entirely different guise.

There was a time when our parents could argue resolutely with hooligans on the street, but today—even daring to look at a pickpocket on the subway might lead to being falsely accused. In the past, “if you see injustice, take up your sword to help” was seen as chivalrous; now, “less is more” is considered wisdom. In earlier times, “finding joy in helping others” was a virtue; today, “helping others and being falsely accused” is a lesson in caution. Society now teaches us not to help an elderly person who has fallen, not to stop wrongdoing when it happens around us, and even not to speak truthfully. What has become of our social environment? Who has changed? Who is driving these changes?

Below, we review those “chilling transformations” to consider who has gradually caused us to lose our courage, our sense of justice, our hope for society, and even our ability to distinguish right from wrong. More importantly, can we ever recover the goodness and bravery we have lost? Finally, we reflect on how we—as disciples of Christ—should remain clearheaded, discern right from wrong, and make the choices a true follower of Christ ought to make. Here are a few examples for our collective reflection:

I. From Trust to Indifference: The Growing Distance Between People

1. Not Helping an Elderly Person Who Falls: “You’re a good person—but where’s the evidence?”

• Early Society (1949–1980s): Under the influence of collectivism and the “Lei Feng spirit,” people were generally willing to help strangers. Parents taught their children to happily assist one another—for instance, “if an old person falls, get up and help them immediately”—and helping others was a widely shared social consensus.
• Reform and Opening (1990s–2000s): With increased social mobility, relationships between people grew more estranged, though a certain sense of moral responsibility still existed.
• Recent Years (2000s–2020s): A number of cases of “helping an elderly person and then being falsely accused” have surfaced, notably the 2006 Peng Yu case in Nanjing. With court rulings requiring compensation, the public now generally believes that “if you help someone, you must be cautious.” This has led to a pervasive social fear. The Lei Feng phenomenon has been questioned and abandoned, and the once unassailable principle of “finding joy in helping others” has quietly transformed into the advice, “Record it on your phone before you help.”

In short, those who act courageously in the name of justice may later face legal repercussions—prompting people to choose indifference and bystander behavior. Similarly, when encountering crimes like fraud or theft, ordinary people often choose not to report or intervene for fear of causing trouble. In public settings, interactions with strangers are minimized to avoid “a kind deed turning sour” or being misunderstood. Today, many social media influencers propagate these “rules of survival” as wisdom, and an increasing number of young parents teach their children these “safety tips” so that a moment of kindness will not result in unforeseen disaster. Have we truly become cold and indifferent? No—the warmth remains; we have merely learned to be cautious. Yet it is this “cautious wisdom” that makes genuine warmth in society increasingly hard to find.

2. Righteous Action? You Might Be the Next Victim

As children, we heard stories like: “When the wolf came, the shepherd stood up and subdued the vicious beast.” Today, however, the story has changed to: “When the wolf came, the shepherd stood up—and ended up being charged with intentional assault.” For example, in 2020 in Beijing, a delivery rider bravely intervened when he saw a girl being dragged into an alley by a stranger, only to be detained for “assaulting someone.” While “righteous action” is meant to be praiseworthy, in reality, heroes may not always have a happy ending.

In recent years, due to insufficient legal protections and an increasing number of cases where those who act righteously are subsequently held accountable, acts of violence used in the name of self-defense are sometimes interpreted as “excessive” and not legally justified. This has led the public to tend toward silence and avoidance. In 2018, in Kunshan, Jiangsu, a stabbing incident occurred in which a young man, attacked by a gang, seized a knife to retaliate—ultimately resulting in the death of one of the attackers. In the aftermath, this self-defender was detained by police for investigation, and public outcry ensued. “What if we ever encounter bullies—what are we supposed to do? Just wait to be killed?”

In such an environment, people have learned to feign ignorance—if someone is robbed, they pretend not to see; if someone is bullied, they hold their tongue. After all, if you intervene, the matter becomes your problem—but if you do nothing, it is not your concern. From “heroic nobility” to “no news is good news,” we have become exactly the kind of people we once despised.

II. From Justice to Submission: Why Does Society No Longer Allow Us to Express Dissent?

3. Absurd Policies Toward Public Officials That Teach People to Remain Silent

In the Past: In Chinese history, ordinary people at least had the opportunity to “remonstrate” or “seek redress.” Even in extreme periods—such as during the Great Leap Forward or the Cultural Revolution—there was some sense of collective resistance, evidenced by petitions from sent-down youth or internal struggles among the Red Guards.

After Reform and Opening: As society gradually moved toward a market economy, citizens became increasingly aware of their rights. In the 1990s, there were instances of individual protests—such as individual businesses, peasant tax resistance, and labor strikes.

Recent Years: Due to stricter information controls and limits on collective action, large-scale public assemblies have nearly disappeared. Most people choose “passive submission” or even “lying flat.” Speaking out on social media may result in charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” warnings through “tea sessions,” or even have a satirical emoji cause one to “socially die” or lose one’s job.

Realworld Examples:

In 2022, a Shanghai resident was visited by the police and warned after criticizing lockdown policies on his social media circle.

In 2023, a university student was disciplined by his school for sharing foreign media reports.

As a result, we learn to feign ignorance, to comply, and to keep silent. Why does everyone dare no longer to criticize? Because the price is too high. But if no one speaks out, can the truth ever be heard on this land?

III. From ‘Emphasizing morality and advocating honesty’ to ‘Emphasizing interests and advocating practicality’: The deep logic of faith collapse and social decline.

4. The Decline of the “Integrity First” Culture: From “Honesty Is the Foundation” to “Profit Above All”

In the Past: Integrity was the cornerstone for a merchant’s reputation—being known for “a promise worth a thousand pieces of gold” was widely admired.

After Reform and Opening: With rampant commercial fraud and counterfeit goods, the system of integrity came under severe strain.

Recent Years: Breaches of contracts, online scams, and academic fraud have become frequent, causing social trust to continuously erode. Integrity has transformed into a “commercial strategy” and a form of packaging rather than a true moral conviction.

5. Changing Views on Righteousness and Profit: When Faith Collapses, Society Is Left With Cold Calculations

In the Past: Confucian culture emphasized “righteousness” over “profit,” as in the adage “a gentleman loves wealth—but acquires it in a proper way.”

After the Market Reforms: Wealth has become the sole measure of success; speculation, real estate flurries, and capital operations are glorified while virtues like morality, kindness, and justice are increasingly regarded as the “game of fools.” Some bloggers have even lamented that hardly any so-called successful person is genuinely good.

IV. From “The State Is Supreme” to “The Individual Comes First”: The Demise of Religious Freedom

6. The Disillusionment of Individual Freedom of Belief: From Free Belief to Totalitarian Control

Before 1949: Although Christianity was a minority, believers enjoyed freedom to gather and evangelize.

After the Establishment of the PRC: Religious belief was labeled “feudal superstition” by the dogma of atheism and was systematically absorbed and suppressed; many pastors and believers were persecuted.

Recent Years: Religious freedom has been further restricted, and due to “politicization,” Christianity has been forced to adjust its message. The government attempts to remodel doctrine through ideology. People have begun to question the authenticity of faith, with some even abandoning it.

Chinese Christianity has transitioned from freedom to restriction, and then to politicization—ultimately concealing true freedom of faith. This is not only an attack on Christians but also a corrosion of the entire society’s moral fabric. The centralized political agenda lies at the root of the steady collapse of many of our social values.

Realworld Examples:

Many house churches have been shut down, and believers punished for gathering privately.

Biblical doctrines have been modified and “politicized” to conform to the requirements of a unified ideology.

7. From Moral Supremacy to Power Supremacy: How Totalitarian Rule Dismantles the Social Value System

When power becomes the sole standard, morality becomes inconsequential and faith naturally gets suppressed. People no longer weigh right against wrong but instead focus on how to survive within the system. Justice, courage, and kindness have been derided as “naïve,” while flattery and taciturn endurance are touted as “realistic wisdom.” In such an environment, faith is marginalized and Christians face even greater challenges.

Conclusion: How Should Christians Respond?

Society is changing and faith is being challenged—but the way of Christ never changes. In the face of these shifts in values, as Christians we must remain clearheaded, equipping our body, mind, and spirit with the armor provided by the Lord so that we will not be assimilated by the world.

1. Reject Indifference; Choose KindnessEven though society teaches us to “help only with caution,” the Christian faith tells us to “love your neighbor as yourself.” While ensuring your own safety, you can still act courageously in doing good.
2. Reject Blind Obedience; Choose the TruthThe world wants us to conform, but Christ calls us to stand upon the truth. “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
3. Reject Silence; Choose to Speak OutEven a small beam of light in the darkness can illuminate the way ahead. May we be the light and the salt that influences the world rather than being remade by it.

Social values are shifting, and our sense of justice may be eroding, yet we still have the choice not to become indifferent, cowardly, or numb. May you, in this era, retain passion, righteousness, and courage—to be a true disciple of Christ; to be light, to be salt; and to influence the world rather than be transformed by it.