Protestant Baptism is not identical to Catholic Baptism
Baptism according to the Bible is immersion by those old enough to make a conscious decision to repent of their sins and believe on jesus Christ
Infants can do no such thing.
There's believer's baptism, and then there's the obligation of a Christian to bring his family to Jesus and Jesus said..... which is why Catholics do infant baptism.
Their explanation is scripturally sound ~ no need to argue with it ~
Infant Baptism is not just a Catholic tradition. Anglicans, Orthodox, and many Protestant churches do it. Catholics hold several types of Baptism as part of the sacrament. What is referred to as infant Baptism (Initiation) would be recognized by belief as a dedication ceremony in most Baptist of fundamentalist churches.
It is different than the Catholic Adult Baptism, ‘Baptism by Desire’ which is given to those who can only freely choose or who, ‘through no fault of there own’ can’t freely make the choice before they die (given usually as part of last rights for those who are unable to reach the age of accountability or other reason (mental capacity) can’t freely choose). Unlike some denominations, Catholics believe that one can only be Baptized once ‘by Desire’ and they recognize the Baptism in another Christian denomination as the same.
Also recognized is the Baptism by Blood which is a recognition of those who were martyred for the faith before they can receive Baptism by Desire.
I come from good Baptist stock on my mother’s side. Growing up, family was also the only practicing Catholic family in a valley where most people had a higher opinion of Jack Chick than the Pope.
I deliberately put the adjective “traditional” in front of Protestant because some caveats are certainly in order, but doing more than noting that would divert the thrust of the thread.
I’d love to see the Bible passage that notes that “Baptism according to the Bible is immersion by those old enough to make a conscious decision to repent of their sins and believe on jesus Christ.”, and then I’d like to see you square it with Acts 16:33, where Paul and Silas baptize their jailer “with all his family.” At the same time, I need to go clean up the kitchen, so I don’t have time for extended debate.