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Number of different scenarios. Some are exclusive, others can cross-pollinate.
1) Religion is the theoretical answer to the only true unknown in our lives - what happens after my life ends.
2) Our cultures, all of them, are based on religious mores, morals, ethics, what have you. Religion permeates the fabric of society and is all around us. On many levels, it is impossible to discuss most anything without having some reference to religion, some concept based off of religion, religious language, or simply based on work by the religious for religious reasons.
3) Religion is neat! Being the basis of the large part of human history, the myths (in the sense of mythic stories, not myth as in false) that underlie up our beliefs are neverendingly fascinating to many people.
4) It is natural to defend one's memes, and religion is generally one of the strongest memes an individual supports. When a meme is challenged by another meme, a test of dominance happens, much in parallel to one organism challenging another for living space.
5) The greatest meme-based conflict of our times is the struggle between the old belief systems encapsulated by the term "religion" and the new belief system encapsulated by the term "science". Science is much like a religion in that it has its' rabid supporters, its' strange rituals (to outsiders, the Scientific Method is a bit arcane), and its' radicals pushing the boundaries of societal acceptance.
6) Many people, like myself, enjoy debate/argument (your flavor may vary).
The reasons behind it are numerous, and I'm sure there's more than the ones I listed. I personally think religion is the most fascinating subject of all, and the most core to our histories, interactions, etc. Then again, I have a degree in Philosophy with a concetration in Religious Studies, so I guess it is natural for me to feel this way.
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