Here's the scenario. Lae'zel rushes up to the door. She throws herself against it expecting the wooden door will give. But it's thick oak. It won't budge no matter how much she throws herself up against it. She tries three times to smash it down by sheer weight and strength, but to no avail.
Gale walks up and kicks it right where the latch is, applying a certain amount of strength to a key pressure point on the frame. Snap. The door flies open. The door isn't shattered or damaged at all. It was the frame that gave way under his precise kick.
Now, Lae'zel could have done that very same kick, and she would have gained a +3 to her roll to succeed, giving her a much bigger advantage than Gale's -1. DC 10, Gale needs 11 to succeed. Lae'zel only needs a 6 or higher. There is a much greater chance that Lae'zel will succeed and smash the door down by slamming into it just right, but Gale still has a chance of success.
The last thing you want is for the opposite to happen. You are stuck in a room and because Gale doesn't have enough strength, he's stuck in the burning room. He has NO chance of success just because he doesn't have enough strength. Let Gale at least have a chance to escape, even if it isn't as good a chance as Lae'zel with her +4.
That said, yes, I think you'll find a lot of people will agree that Barbarians shouldn't be the only ones able to tear the pod open and such. That shouldn't be based on Class. Shoot! That should also be a roll. Just because you have Strength 17 doesn't mean you should automatically tear the pod open. That, again, should be based on a roll. Do you find the right place to apply pressure to break the lock mechanism and force the pod open?... or do you just waste your time yanking on all the wrong places? It could even be an Athletics roll so that those who are more skilled with Physical Prowess have a better chance of success than those who don't.
That said, some feats of strength are solely based on Strength already, which is appropriate. You shouldn't need to roll every time you lift someone or something. It should be a straight Strength Score calculation.
One thing I do wish they'd do is have people make Jump rolls. A 10 foot jump, for example, shouldn't just be made automatically. You should have to roll to see if you make it or if you make it but fall prone because it was a hefty jump - relatively speaking because some have greater jumping distances than others.
So, Lae'zel with better jump might not need to make the roll, but someone like my halfling mage should probably have to make a roll. Risk a hefty jump, pay the price that you might make it but fall on your face because you risked it.
