[JKCalhoun]

I didn't know anyone was splitting hairs as to whether the phrase was to be applied to the helpless.

Regardless, it always seems to be used as a cudgel against those whom the invoker believes is lazy or undeserving of God's help.

(As an atheist though the phrase always seemed like a justification for why prayers were not being answered.)

[ryao]

My mother has invoked it at various points in my life to try to motivate me to do the bare minimum to help myself when she did not think I was doing even that much (and was capable of doing it). I suppose that could have seemed like a cudgel to observers, but it was not.

As for prayers being unanswered, there are two tragedies in this world. One is not getting what you want. The other is getting it. Interestingly, the Mouse Utopia Experiment showed that giving everyone everything that they could ever want is ultimately bad for them. That is perhaps a major reason why various prayers are unanswered.

[Retric]

Mouse Utopia experiment doesn’t give mice space it’s just not the kind of restriction that’s initially obvious.

The modern take is when you put animals into environments well outside what they evolved for you get seemingly bizarre behavior.

[minton]

I don’t think we need a study to understand that someone who always gets everything they want is usually a spoiled brat.

[Retric]

That’s exactly the kind of assumption you should want someone to rigorously examine.

But more importantly it was not happening in those experiments.