Let me try to rephrase, and see if HarleyD agrees...
It is Jesus who saves, not theology. The thief on the cross didn’t have a lot of knowledge ABOUT Jesus, but he MET Jesus and repented.
In a Baptist vs Catholic debate, there are Baptists who have theology that agrees with me, yet who are mean, bitter people who show no sign of caring about what God wants in their life. And I’ve met Catholics who may or may not have known about church teachings, but who also were willing to screw anything with two legs.
It isn’t knowledge of theology that saves, but Jesus. And it is hard to judge by theology if the person knows Jesus or not. It is by their FRUIT that you will know them, not by their doctrinal creed.
That is why I am convinced that a number of Catholics on this forum - with whom I have strong doctrinal disagreements - are Christians. When we stand before God, we will not be given a theology test and judged by our position on real presence, transubstantiation, or Mariology - or water baptism, or beliefs about priests.
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
That does not excuse a theology that rejects Jesus or his grace. If someone believes Jesus is the created brother of Satan, they do NOT know the Jesus who exists. If someone - Baptist or Catholic, and I’ve met examples from both - believes their good life is what counts, they are damned.
But Catholics and Baptists both believe in water baptism, although we disagree about why we were commanded to do it. I believe God will judge our heart, not administer a theology exam.
I will sometimes debate theology, because I believe it helps us to know God better if we know more about who he is and what he wants from us.
Baptists and Catholics don’t share the same faith when it comes to Baptism.