On what terms can a religious activity be defended in a community if there is opposition from residents in close proximity to the religious center? One answer presented by the Abbot of a Thai Buddhist temple in Berkley California, is that it earns spiritual merit. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Wat Mongkolratanaram temple in Berkeley is reeking the ire of residents by offering a delicious feast every Sunday morning. Apparently residents are irked by the noise and disruption to this residential area. However, to the Buddhists who attend—particularly to those who volunteer to work in the temple serving the meal—this is crucial to their spiritual experience. According to Abbot Than Manas, voluntary service to the temple is a way to earn merit for this life and the next. Fair enough, you might say, that is their way to live, what right have we to interrupt? Especially if the state of their eternal life rests on serving Thai cuisine to Berkley's student population. However, ...