After all of the sins of the people were symbolically transferred onto the scapegoat it was further burdened with all marks of reproach, imprecations, and hate. After this the people prayed that all those evils which were due to themselves might fall upon the goat rather than on the sinners themselves even though scapegoating cannot clean a dirty conscience.
A dirty conscience, selfishness, self-indulgence, envy, covetousness and pride hinders and blinds the soul's vision of itself as it really is. Thus Truth and the revelation of its' own sin,
"...causes what it was trying to avoid seeing to be set before its eyes. What it had preferred to be hidden behind its back is now brought round and it is forced to confront it face to face." Formerly it had "looked at itself and been very pleased with itself and become a lover of its power. It had lost the ability to look honestly at its own actions and thus justified all its evil deeds. Through its selfishness and self-indulgence it became insolent (and) proud..." (St. Augustine, Sermon 142,3)
As it is throughout the Middle East where a victim of rape can be stoned to death by her rapist, here in America we witness the rapid rise of a scapegoating society because a majority of "sinless" Americans (a consensus) within and without the Christian Church reject the eternally unchanging Truth and Moral Law of the Triune God in favor of their own sovereign, yet morally relative "sacred opinions" "feelings" and "choices." Thus they refuse to accept personal responsibility for their own sins but rather freely scapegoat other people who they unjustly accuse of hate, homophobia, racism, sexism, intolerance, hate speech, fear-mongering, and mental illness. Thus people of color scapegoat white people, homosexuals scapegoat "hateful homophobic" straight males and females, pedophiles scapegoat parents trying to protect their own children from perverts, haters of truth (liars) scapegoat the truthful, the indecent scapegoat the decent, the cowardly scapegoat the courageous, the envious crucify the human objects of their envy; thieves, rioters and murderers scapegoat society, and sinful self-indulgent unfaithful Christian compromisers scapegoat faithful Christians.
Where a majority are not guilty of their own evils, scapegoats are necessary. Human scapegoats will be burdened with the evils of the guilty and crucified on the altars of the self-centered, self-indulgent, and proud. Scripture calls this idolatry.
Excellent analysis, very much enjoyed reading your response. Thanks!!