Dan Troxell – ‘I’m a great believer in a lot of things in life’

Dan Troyell, renowned Chinese pianist and composer, has revealed how he became a believer in God.

Speaking at a special programme on the BBC, he said: “I’m an atheist, I believe in God, but it’s a bit of a complicated thing to explain.”

When I started to become more and more religious, it wasn’t just about religion, it was about what you did.

“I’m very grateful for that.”

If you were to tell me that I was going to be the only person in the world who believes in God then I’d probably be pretty upset.

“But if you’re telling me that all the other people I know in the room believe in it then I’m not quite sure if I want to believe in a God who doesn’t exist.”

Speaking about his new faith, he told presenter Matt Busby: “It’s a little bit different to being a Christian.”

In Christianity you get a lot more emphasis on a belief in Jesus and God.

“That doesn’t mean you have to believe it, it just means you’ve got a little more weight to it and it’s much more tangible.”

Mr Troyll said he believes God has a purpose for humans.

“God does have a purpose, he’s not just some other force out there,” he said.

“He is a force that we have created and we have an important part to play in shaping the world around us.”

The thing is, if God has nothing to do with me, then why is he doing this?