What has religion to offer?

The recent outbursts against Islam - camouflaged under the term 'terrorism' - is not a very healthy sign of things to come.  Every action, yielding a reaction which again becomes the source for a reaction.  Sooner than later, there would be violence and hatred and suspicion and most dangerously anarchy everywhere.  No one would trust anyone.

This brings me back to the question that I've been battling with myself: The relevance of Religion? Responding the reactions to the murder of the cartoonists in France, a person has this to say:

When we get stuck in a religious debate we are never going to win, we miss the point, which is that extremists are offering young people a sense of belonging, an outlet for adventure, and some kind of enhanced status. To combat this, we have to appeal to them as young people more than we have to appeal to them as Muslims. (Here's the source). Emphasis added.

So what does religion offer? Merely a sense of belonging, an adventure, an enhanced status? Then anything that offers these is a 'religion'...?