While I understand the point you’re trying to make—and agree with it—I think your Yom Kippur analogy is flawed. The idea behind the litany is that we’re praying for forgiveness for the sins of all of mankind. Even if you, personally, have not stolen, there’s someone in the world who has, and you’re praying for him too. That’s why its worded in the plural (“we have stolen,” as opposed to “I have stolen”).
While I understand the point you’re trying to make—and agree with it—I think your Yom Kippur analogy is flawed. The idea behind the litany is that we’re praying for forgiveness for the sins of all of mankind. Even if you, personally, have not stolen, there’s someone in the world who has, and you’re praying for him too. That’s why its worded in the plural (“we have stolen,” as opposed to “I have stolen”).
Just sayin’.
As far as I learned, it is community-wide and not humanity-wide. Judaism is rather a tribal religion in this matter.
Regardless, there is a good reason for the plural pronoun.