Source: The New York Times

On April 24, 2001, The New York Times reported on Prof. Byron R. Johnson of the University of Pennsylvania, who "is among the few social scientists who have tried to measure the influence of religion on social problems...Mr. Johnson and many other social scientists say...that there is little reliable research proving the effectiveness of religious programs. They also add that there is scant evidence showing which religious programs show the best results and how they stack up against secular programs."