Misinformed religious restrictions and not accepting different thoughts...

http://www.denverpost.com/rapids/ci_7696043
This is an article about recent shootings. I won't go too in depth because it's obviously a really difficult issue for some people, but there were some things that really stuck out.
One thing was that the shooter's parents were incredibly strict, reportedly not letting him listen to music, watch movies, or play video games. I think that this is rather interesting, because his motivation was quite obviously rebelling against a religion that he felt had repressed him. I have to sympathize with his motivation, but most certainly not his actions, because he did a terrible thing that just isn't excusable, but I really feel like if his parent's hadn't acted like, well, uptight anti-media fundamentalist Christians things might have turned out differently.
Another thing was that he talked about the religion only rewarding popular, outgoing people that follow along with the religion and don't bother to question it. I can also sympathize with this line of thinking, once again not with the outcome it led to, which I must stress is a terrible, terrible thing. I can't begin to understand thinking that leads to "I'm going to go shoot people because it's right," and I'm in no way claiming to think that's okay. What I am saying is that I have seen historically that religion, and not just Christianity, all religions, has led to terrible things. The Salem Witch Trials, the Red Scare (religion was indeed a major factor behind that, just look at 'reasons' why the Communists were so bad an the fact that they were 'godless' is one of the big ones), Jack Chick, persecution of homosexuals, the list goes on and on. But I'm not even talking about religion, because you can't generalize that people of a certain faith are a certain way. What I am talking about is the tendency of society to ostracize that which is different or asks questions people don't want to think about. It happens, it really does, and it's a terrible thing.
The point behind this whole post is really that you can't be too strict with people and that you can't punish that which is different or questioning because it's going to lead to bad things for everyone.