Why does religion continue to grow?

[KevinM1]

religion thrives where there is no hope.  Atheism doesn't offer hope.  It works for logical people with less emotion like me.  Over organized religion will drop, but "belief" in something will stay the same will.  Simply because belief in no-nothing has counters  observational data.

Why would atheism offer anything?  It's simply the lack of belief in deities, nothing more.

My hope is in secular humanism.  That we can, some day, overcome our tribal instincts and come together for a common good.  It might be pie-in-the-sky, but I think it's a far better outlook than nihilism.