The Importance Of Curiousity (Episode 4 - Archive)The Importance Of Curiousity (Episode 4 - Archive)
Relational Recovery
Wes Thompson and Austin Hill talk about curiosity, doubt and faith, reflecting on how honest questions and lived actions shape belief and recovery. Their discussion focuses on moving away from shame and towards open, respectful conversations about God and spirituality.
7:02•29 Jul 2026
Why Curiosity Matters for Faith, Recovery and Real Change
Episode Overview
- Curiosity about faith and belief is presented as healthy, not dangerous, especially for people in recovery.
- Trying to shut down hard questions often leads to more confusion and resistance rather than genuine belief.
- Fear of being wrong can make people defensive about faith, but respect and open dialogue ease that tension.
- Actions and how someone treats others are highlighted as more persuasive than arguments or superior thinking.
- Creating a culture where any question can be asked without shame is seen as important for meaningful spiritual growth.
“I want people to feel like they can ask whatever question you want. And I may not have the answer, you know, but ask away.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation from Relational Recovery leans hard into one surprising tool: curiosity. Aimed at people wrestling with unwanted behaviours and questions about faith, it offers a raw look at how asking honest questions can actually support recovery rather than derail it. Host Wes Thompson and co-host Austin Hill talk candidly about their own experiences in Christian settings where questions about God felt dangerous or shameful.
Wes reflects on his younger brother Trent, who “would ask a lot of questions” about faith and was often met with the message that “those aren’t questions you’re supposed to ask.” That kind of shut-down response, they suggest, can push people further away rather than closer to belief or healing. You’ll hear them unpack the idea that if God is real, then “I don’t have to fight with anybody about it.
It’s just true.” From that perspective, curiosity isn’t a threat; it’s a way of honestly wrestling with doubt and experience. Austin points out how fear of being wrong can make people defensive and angry about faith, especially when they feel they must protect God from being questioned. The tone stays relaxed and conversational, with touches of humour about “youth group” being simply “a group of youth” and “the weirdest things” happening there.
Yet the message is serious: shaming people for their questions about God, Jesus, or Christianity can cause deep hurt and doesn’t create genuine belief.
Instead, Wes and Austin argue that what really speaks to people is how someone lives: “That’s how we convince people is through our actions towards others and how we respond to things, not about how my thinking is so much better than yours.” For anyone in recovery who has complicated feelings about faith, this chat offers space to breathe, doubt, and stay curious. Could making room for questions be the next step in your healing journey?
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