(11/14/06) MERRICK - Long Island Catholics, both heterosexual and homosexual alike, had strong reactions to gay guidelines issued by Catholic bishops Tuesday.

As the Conference of Catholic Bishops met in Baltimore, they announced a policy they say is designed to reach out and help homosexuals. The bishops say it is alright for a person to declare intimate feelings about a member of the same sex, but it is never acceptable for the person to act on those desires.

Gay activists in Merrick believe the Catholic Church's actions represent greater hypocrisy than ever before. They say the church's attempted balancing act, telling gays it's okay to be who you are as long as you never behave accordingly, is a failure. Other Merrick residents also believe the effort causes more harm than good.