You missed the Campbellite Wars we had on FR about 10 years ago when they tried to take over the FR religious forum.
They still show up ever so often, in fact they were here just a few weeks ago! I recon some of them will be along soon.
Aside from that, like the church I was raised in, baptism is seen as an integral part of the salvation process.
Given what scriptures teach us, to me it seems unusual to see baptism as something which is "optional". Even Jesus had John the Baptist baptize him. If we are to follow Christ's example, then the example of baptism certainly seems like something that Christ himself saw as an important, even critical component of salvation.
I Peter 3:21, for example, is sufficiently definitive for me.
In any event, aside from minor doctrinal issues such as non-instrumental praise, I'm not aware of any Church of Christ members or teachings that in any way have "cult" characteristics.
The CoC that *I* know teaches New Testament Christianity in as straightforward and logical a manner as anybody could imagine or want.
Thus, this "debate" which is referenced above, and which I began to look at, seems to me to be along the lines of "how many angels can dance on the head of a pin" as far as its relevance to people achieving salvation.
If a group of Christians are following the New Testament in an honest way, and sincerely trying to seek God's will and obey His commandments, I don't think any other group of Christians needs to come along and insist that their dogma must be the correct one.
Rather, I believe that God is eminently qualified to make such judgments and separate the wheat from the chaff.
Having said that, I certainly can't see why any individual would willfully fail to be immersed, as it constitutes a conscious and public act indicating the acceptance of Christ as Savior.
It just occurred to me as I posted this that this is the 41st anniversary of my own baptism on September 9, 1974!
Now that's quite a coincidence...