proverb · Words worth keeping
Right or wrong, God aid our purpose.
Right or wrong, God aid our purpose.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Loyalty to a purpose is declared stronger than concern about whether it is right. The appeal for divine aid exposes a partisan wish, without establishing divine approval or excusing wrongful conduct.
Example
A committee member asks whether a proposed shortcut is fair before supporting it merely because it benefits their own group.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Right and wrong are both admitted possibilities, yet the request for help remains unchanged. The tension asks whether commitment has become detached from examining the purpose itself. In another setting, a group may demand loyalty before considering the consequences of its plan. A shared identity or religious appeal does not settle that examination. Ask what the objective involves and who may be affected. Read the line as revealing partiality rather than a rule that one’s side should always prevail.
When to use it
Use it to examine loyalty that continues without testing whether a purpose is right.
Keep in mind
The appeal does not prove divine endorsement or remove responsibility for a harmful goal.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional (Spanish-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown