How to Determine What % of Americans are Practicing Christians

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

I'm willing to go ahead with HockeyDude's definition.

Small quibble, but is Hockeydude's definition a touch Protestant-centric?

The wording definitely comes across that way and might want some modification (though I'll have to think about how I personally would modify it), but I don't think many practicing Catholics or Eastern Orthodox would deny it.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Catholics and Eastern Orthodox wouldn't deny it obviously, but would also add that simply declaring "Jesus Christ is my savior" might make me a Christian, but alone would not make me a practicing Christian.

Actually, now that you mention it, you're absolutely right; that only works with a very odd definition of 'to practice'.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Catholics and Eastern Orthodox wouldn't deny it obviously, but would also add that simply declaring "Jesus Christ is my savior" might make me a Christian, but alone would not make me a practicing Christian.

Actually, now that you mention it, you're absolutely right; that only works with a very odd definition of 'to practice'.

Agreed. To clarify, I'm not looking for who's Christian and who's not. I'm looking for who actively participates in the Christian life.

How would you or TJ define "practicing"?

A lot of people here really do seem to be conflating 'practicing' with 'believing'. I keep thinking about it and I keep coming back to some combination of church attendance and prayer outside of church, plus maybe actively raising one's children Christian if one has them (unless perhaps it's part of an arrangement in an interfaith marriage not to for whatever reason).

Obviously one can be 'believing' without 'practicing', but should we concede for these purposes that one can also be 'practicing' without 'believing'? If so, which is more important to measure?

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Small quibble, but is Hockeydude's definition a touch Protestant-centric?

Is it?  Are you not considered Catholic if you don't eat your crackers and wine? 

Wafers and wine. It has the benefit of alliterating! Think Nilla except they don't taste like anything, stick to the roof of your mouth like no other, and are the very body of Christ Crucified, which to those of us who believe in it is even better than being able to be eaten with milk.