Baptism -- a "Western" activity?

In an earlier post, I clipped a quote from Malcolm Yarnell's The Heart of a Baptist. In it Yarnell wrote that the "Camel" method of evangelism encourages new Christians "to hide their faith, continue attending mosque or temple, and otherwise act like Muslims or Hindus. Ralph Winter and his U. S. Center for World Mission apparently consider baptism a Western rather than a biblical activity." [p. 11, online]

I do not quote this to revive the "Camel" discussion, but rather to make a point on baptism. Note this sentence: "Ralph Winter and his U. S. Center for World Mission apparently consider baptism a Western rather than a biblical activity."

In his "white paper", Yarnell gives references to the document(s) from which he draws the conclusion concerning the U.S. Center for World Mission. I do not have access to those documents. But if this is correct, it points to something that was bound to come. Modern exegetes have often so thoroughly identified New Testament practice with 1st century Jewish & Roman culture that New Testament practices are dispensed with as cultural phenomena. It was/is only a matter of time that even the initial response of repentance and faith through baptism would become a mere cultural artifact in the minds of some.

Christians who do not practice baptism are not New Testament Christians.