Necessary Evils?

Necessary Evils?

What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol, addiction, and constant inner struggle? This episode of *Alive and Free* takes that question in an unexpected direction by asking whether so-called "necessary evils" are actually blocking genuine freedom. Host Bob Gardner shares a very real dilemma: he wants to get his addiction-recovery work back out into the world, but is told he "needs" a Facebook and Instagram ad account to reach people. His ad consultant calls it "a necessary evil".

Bob’s reaction is sharp and memorable: "Since when is evil necessary? That phrase needs to be stricken from the language." From there, the conversation widens into a mix of faith, philosophy, and practical recovery. Bob draws on Orthodox Christian scripture and his study of ancient Greek to question the idea that harm and corruption are required stepping stones toward good outcomes.

He unpacks how one Greek word is translated in different ways in English, showing how language can quietly shape beliefs about suffering, sin, and what seems "inevitable" in life. Alongside the biblical examples of scandal, offence, and Judas, Bob keeps circling back to a very modern problem: social media, data-mining, and whether using systems he sees as harmful is acceptable just because they "work" for business.

He admits the tension between needing to feed his family and wanting to hold to clear principles. For people dealing with addiction, depression, anxiety, or porn and gambling struggles, this episode speaks directly to the ethics behind recovery work and outreach. You’ll hear about simple biological and perceptual skills that can reduce how much addiction and emotional pain run the show, plus a call for more grassroots sharing instead of relying on platforms he no longer trusts.

It’s a thoughtful, sometimes humorous look at how often people justify what feels wrong by calling it "necessary"—and whether that’s a habit worth quitting too.