There are many cultures where if someone becomes a Christian, their family will oppose it strongly, and try to persuade them to *come back*, and generally make their lives miserable.
But when they get baptized, their family outright disowns them and writes them out of their will. In the worst case scenarios, the family will act as if the person died.
It’s not that something magical happens when one is baptized, but it is an identifying with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ in a very profound way.
It’s something that is done out of obedience and should be done of one’s own free will, not inflicted on any one.
Many people who come to Christ as adults who were infant baptized choose to get baptized again, simply as a taking a stand and making a public declaration kind of thing. There’s something about making a commitment and sealing it with a ceremony that makes it more meaningful and significant.
there are no types and figures in the NT, the OT is full of them! Once Jesus has come, the need for types and figures are gone, because they all pointed to Him and He came already. Jesus does not ask you to do meaningless ceremonies to identify with Him, the Bible teaches Baptism is for the forgiveness of sins and receiving the Holy Spirit. it is not a type or figure!
I agree that baptism is certainly something we should do as Christians when we have made that decision to follow Christ and you are right that it should not be something that is just done to someone against their will.
I am one of those people who was baptized as a baby but when I actually understood the Gospel and trusted in Jesus as my Savior, I chose to be baptized again. It was just as you said, a personal declaration that I was a new creation in Christ and I was buried with him in his death and raised again into newness of life. Praise the Lord! I think it means so much more when it is a real choice of the person being baptized and not something done TO them before they could even know anything or remember it.