i believe that baptism is an outward sign of salvation, but it doesn't actually save. just like the Lords supper. in both cases i would say that it is man doing a God ordained tradition that he has commanded us to do. but in both cases, i don't believe that the water or the bread or the wine(we actually use wine in our church BTW) is somehow "Holy" in and of its self. saying so would come dangerously close to turning these material things in to an idol.
Chatholic or not?

i believe that baptism is an outward sign of salvation, but it doesn't actually save. just like the Lords supper. in both cases i would say that it is man doing a God ordained tradition that he has commanded us to do. but in both cases, i don't believe that the water or the bread or the wine(we actually use wine in our church BTW) is somehow "Holy" in and of its self. saying so would come dangerously close to turning these material things in to an idol.
Study the church fathers (and most theologians throughout history): that's what I've been trying to learn about, and I have found that they are very not Baptist!
@Bassoonist1
Are you conflating water and spirit baptism as 1? Or are you meaning that baptism saves really means that baptism of the spirit saves? Clarification needed.

@Bassoonist1
Are you conflating water and spirit baptism as 1? Or are you meaning that baptism saves really means that baptism of the spirit saves? Clarification needed.
Somewhere in the middle. I reject what Catholics and Lutherans say, that the physical baptism provides forgiveness of sins, but I also reject the Baptist view that it’s essentially just a symbol. 1st Peter 3:21 led me to this specific position.

While I do believe that you can be a true Christian and be a member of the Catholic Church, I believe that most Catholics are not truly saved and that Catholicism is a false religion
I have made a list of teachings found in the Catechism and councils of the Catholic Church that are contrary to the Scriptures and in some cases heretical
The Catholic Church is the one true church
Infallibility of the Catholic Church
Only the Roman Catholic Church has authority to interpret Scripture
The Pope is the head of the church and has the authority of Christ
The Roman Catholic Church is necessary for salvation
Sacred Tradition equal to scripture
Forgiveness of sins and salvation is by faith and works
Grace can be merited
The merit of Mary and the Saints can be applied to Catholics and others
Penance is necessary for salvation
Indulgences
The Assumption of Mary
Mary is Mediatrix
Mary brings us the gifts of eternal salvation
Mary delivers souls from death
Priests are Forbidden to Marry
Idols and Images for Worship
Prayer to the saints

My phone doesn't do YouTube, sorry
He says that the differences in doctrines of salvation are more nuanced than is commonly recognized: Catholics are heterodox but not heretical

The Pope being head of the church as Christ, Mary being Mediatrix and bringing eternal life, atonement and forgiveness of sins by works, and the Roman Catholic Church being nessesary for salvation are all blasphemous statements that place people equal to or superior to God. You cannot believe these heretical doctrines and be a true Christian, they are just straight blasphemy

The Pope being head of the church as Christ, Mary being Mediatrix and bringing eternal life, atonement and forgiveness of sins by works, and the Roman Catholic Church being nessesary for salvation are all blasphemous statements that place people equal to or superior to God. You cannot believe these heretical doctrines and be a true Christian, they are just straight blasphemy
Listen to Gavin Ortlund’s video/podcast episode about why Catholics are Christian. He’s a great Baptist preacher from Nashville

The Pope being head of the church as Christ, Mary being Mediatrix and bringing eternal life, atonement and forgiveness of sins by works, and the Roman Catholic Church being nessesary for salvation are all blasphemous statements that place people equal to or superior to God. You cannot believe these heretical doctrines and be a true Christian, they are just straight blasphemy
Listen to Gavin Ortlund’s video/podcast episode about why Catholics are Christian. He’s a great Baptist preacher from Nashville
I couldn't find him on sermon audio, and I don't have YouTube, where could I find him?
I watched the part on catholics. First I would like to say that that is one man's view of how salvation works in the denominations and could therefore be wrong, but for the sake of argument we can assume he's right. Second, i would say that believeing that sprinkling water removes guilt and that you can somehow "kill" your faith and that you must still go through purgatory is completely unbiblical. These are some very major misconceptions about salvation. And if you believe that about salvation I'm not sure you can be truly saved, but i will not say anything for sure about Christian claiming people that i have never met
I do believe that baptism saves! Baptism is the normal means by which God gives grace to those who have faith. Unlike Catholics and Lutherans, I don't think that the physical baptism saves, but I do think that the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the physical baptism are deeply connected (this is the reason for the specific language in 1 Peter 3:21, which is how I arrived at a specifically Reformed view of baptism). The thing is, evangelicals have a fundamentally different view of what baptism is than the rest of Christianity. Evangelicals/Baptists think that baptism is a work of man, while I think that properly understood it is a work of God. Classical Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox would all affirm this. Therefore, it is no contradiction to say that we are saved through faith alone and that baptism saves.
I don't think that the other two things you mentioned are that outlandish (while I would still disagree with them). As far as mortal sin goes, the Bible mentions that "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit" is an unforgivable sin. And it is hotly debated what exactly that means, but therefore I don't think that the concept of mortal sin is totally out of the blue. Purgatory is sort of the Catholic version of sanctification (the process of being made more Christ-like). Protestants think this happens after one comes into the faith. I think someone who believes in mortal sin and purgatory can absolutely be saved! The gospel is never defined in terms of transactional salvation, it is defined in terms of God's Kingdom.