“hence the contention that the Bible doesn’t teach salvation by baptism, but baptism as an outward symbol and public testimony of the inward work that has already taken place.”
Seems pretty clear to me that all those who are believers ought to be baptised, not because it’s a sign, but because it’s a sacramental and that it bears salvific grace.
“By the way, I find it interesting how you “claim” me as a Catholic because you think I was baptized Catholic.”
YOu say you experienced the Catholic faith from inside. So I must ask the question as to whether this means you were baptised and confirmed. If so, then you are and always will be a member of the Catholic church.
“If you think baptism saves you apart from faith”
No, but baptism is necessary for salvation. If you are saved by faith apart from baptism, why have bapstism at all? Even Christ submitted to baptism.
“If you can’t tell the difference between the texture of meat (flesh) and bread, what can I say? Or does the change take place after you swallow?”
Christ is very clear about this. Unless you eat of my flesh and drink of my blood, you have no life in you. The disciples said this was a hard teaching, and we see the same thing today.
It is not a symbol, Christ is bodily present in the bread and the wine, or how else do you interpret, “I am the living bread, he who eats of me shall never go hungry.” Did not the manna from heaven actually sustain the Israelites, or was that simply symbolic too? They had Manna, we have Christ.