Gospel of John (3:5): I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
My stepfather has never been baptized. He is a good man from christian stock and my incessant prayer is that he will be baptized before he dies.
When you read verse 4 you see that Christ was not at all talking of baptism but of natural birth.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Really? How about this:
Mat 23:9 And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.
Perhaps Jesus had something in mind? His reference is to a spritual leader being referred to as 'father' which is precisely what Catholics do.
His words in John 3:5 speak of a physical birth and a spiritual birth. The former is what all of us go through, the latter only what believers go through. Baptism in water is not a requirement for salvation, it is the first act of obedience. The context of the passage is given in the next:
Jhn 3:6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
Christ never baptised anyone, teaching His disciples to baptise as John had. It was a symbolic gesture to inform the Jews that they were distinguishing themselves from the old covenenat and becoming aligned with the new. In essence, dying to the world and becoming alive to God.