Controversial Evangelical Pastor Trumpets No-Hell Message on Network TV

Today's the day we find out if hell, according to one pastor, exists. And Even the mainstream media can't ignore the story.

Rob Bell, you may remember, is the evangelical pastor from Michigan that sent orthodox Christian tempers flaring with the announcement of his new book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. Many said the book bordered on, if not was, heresy for its description's suggestion that everyone goes to Heaven. Still, others took a wait-and-see approach until the book's scheduled debut. It came out today.

(Read our earlier story on the firestorm.)

Bell broke his silence about the hullabaloo surrounding the book to ABC's George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America," ensuring a very large audience has been introduced to his thoughts (which weren't conveyed concretely) and his book:

Despite talking in very abstract terms, it seems clear that ABC did run with a message: the headlines it's using for the Bell interview on its website are, "Pastor Claims Hell Does not Exist," and "Hell...No?"

You can see Townhall blogger Greg Hengler's take on Bell's ABC appearance over on the blog.