The main message of the book is "Wearing your choices on your sleeve can be painful in a judgmental world, but is ultimately healing; attempting instead to appear spotlessly moral will tear you apart from inside out"

Now apply to this thread.

I mostly agree it's not as simple as good guys and bad guys, but if anyone's a bad guy it's the most judgmental townspeople and the priest who lets Hester take the full brunt of judgment while he pretends he's squeaky clean.