Rejection of Church Establishment in Cilegon as a Form of Violation of Religious Freedom

This research aimed to study the rejection of church construction in Cilegon as a violation of the first principles of Pancasila. The research questions posed in this study discuss 1) What is the chronology of the case of the rejection of the construction of a church in Cilegon; 2) What are the reasons for the rejection of church construction in Cilegon; and 3) How do the government and society respond to the rejection of the church establishment in Cilegon. This essay was written using a descriptive method through a qualitative approach with case analysis and the first principle of Pancasila, namely "Belief in One Almighty God". The data is collected from various sources such as news, articles, journals, and the results of previous research. The results show that the rejection was due to the Regent's Decree, history, and the agreement of the clergy. This case of refusal raises the pros and cons for the government and society. However, the reasons that the cons had been more substantial. The opposing parties using the Decree of the Regent of Serang as the basis for rejecting the establishment of the church was irrelevant and discriminatory. Seventy residents supported the plan, and this number met the requirements for building a house of worship in Indonesia.