Thomas said:
Is baptizement in water required for salvation?
No.
The Catholic Church believes that... I myself am not sure.
Not quite - the Catholic Church believes that baptism is an Initiation into the Catholic Faith and thus an engagement with the Holy Spirit. It is a requirement, but not a guarantee of salvation in itself.
Is it really that important to immerse your flesh in H2O?
The importance is, as has been said, not the outward act but the inward meaning. It is the entry into a different order of life, signifying being born 'of the spirit' and being 'buried in Christ' - it is entry into the Mystical Body of Christ, and the birth of Christ in the baptised.
Why do I have faith and the Holy Spirit in me without having been baptized?
That depends on what you have faith in, and how you perceive the Holy Spirit.
Thomas
Quite true. During a rough time in my life I had a new born son, that no one would support me with concerning God. So in desperation, this catholic man took his baby boy to an Episcapal priest, to be baptised. The Priest agreed with my reasoning, and baptised him.
18 years later that issue came back. And instead of haunting me (for not doing so), it blessed me, when my son asked "Where are my baptism papers?".
Right here son...and he said quietly, "I am really part of God's family..."
All this time, he didn't realize the truth. (and it never dawn on me that he would consider it... dumm dad, dumm dad, dumm ass). But the papers revealed the truth of history.
What it doesn't reveal is that before I found a church that would baptise him, I took matters into my own hands and baptised him in the kitchen sink...
(for non catholic types, the baby isn't plunged under water. Water is merely poured over the forehead, and nowhere else). I never dreamed my son would ask about his "religious" past.
My point is that this was so important to my child (big boy of 20), that I thank God I made sure he had an heritage, that he could show.
You never know what kids think or are looking for...
He walked into the recruiting office for the Armed services, and when they asked him what religion he held, he gave them a certificate and said, "Catholic, by way of an Episcopalian..." but this is nothing new. I've spoken about this before in other threads.
v/r
Q