Acts 16:31 Paul and silas say to the jailor, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved..." They were baptized after, but here it is belief which is spoken of as saving them.
Paul often talks of belief as sufficient for righteousness. I will give you one example. "Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness." Obviously Abraham was not baptized.
I'ts not a pie-in-the-sky "lone ranger" interpretation to believe that baptism doesn't CAUSE regeneration but is an outward proof. It is believed by many based on Scripture.
you are correct unfortunately it is not a “lone ranger” belief. since the 16th century, when this heresy first appeared on the world stage, many have come to accept this unbiblical belief. for 1,500 years, the Apostolic teaching of baptismal regeneration was believed and taught. no one believed in a “symbolic” baptism. to see how ridiculous your post was, Acts 3:19 says nothing about faith in Jesus, so a mormom who repents and turns to God would have their sins wiped out, even though they reject Jesus and His sacrificial death. do you see where the worship of your mind takes you. why reject the Church founded by Christ and sustained by the Holy Spirit for 2,000 years?