After Google's quick answers described Mormonism as a cult on Monday, the company issued an immediate apology, explaining that such results are generated automatically, Buzz Feed reported.
When the phrase "is Mormonism a cult?" was searched on Monday, the quick answer - which is a small info box generated by Google - showed up as the top (non-ad) result announcing that "Yes, Mormonism is a cult, a non-Christian cult because Mormonism denies essential biblical teachings and adds new, false doctrines."
"Last night we removed an offensive quick answer about Mormonism. Quick answers sometimes appear on the top of search results, and are produced automatically based on a number of factors. We're sorry for any offense this answer may have caused," the company told Buzz Feed, declining to give additional details about how the quick answer was created or how long it was included in search results.
A website called CARM, or Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, was used to generate information for the quick answer. According to the Buzz Feed, it is known to be critical of Mormonism - or, officially, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. However, it also discusses other religions such as Islam, Jehovah's Witnesses, Roman Catholicism, and others.
Mormons regard it as a touchy subject to be regarded as a cult, with the church itself stating that the "label is usually applied by Church opponents attempting to criticize or discredit the Church." Others have called Mormonism a cult due to "lack of understanding."
Still, critics of the church argue that Mormonism's unusual take on traditional Christian doctrines - things like the Trinity, the Bible, prophets, etc. - make it sufficiently divergent to qualify as a cult. But the church counters that it accepts Jesus and is therefore a Christian religion.
In 2011 Rev. Robert Jeffress called Mormonism a cult during the Republican presidential primary. The comments had caused a stir at the time and were widely seen as a jab by Jeffress, a Rick Perry supporter, at Romney.
