Hi there!
Great questions…all of which I’ve coincidently been pondering myself a lot lately! No offense taken by any means. Glad someone else is thinking about these same things.
Below I’ve listed a number of quotes from the Baha’i Writings that address the first part of your first question. There is a lot in the Baha'i Writings on this so please forgive the length. I hope to have time to share some more on your other good questions soon. Hope this is of some benefit in the meantime.
Best,
Eric
1. If God sent down Bahaullah as the most recent manifestation for humankind, then what does God make of those who seek Him through Christ, Mohammed, etc ? Does God accept the prayers of those who don't accept Bahaullah?
“Light is good in whatsoever lamp it is burning.”
--Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 137
“The Faith standing identified with the name of Bahá'u'lláh disclaims any intention to belittle any of the Prophets gone before Him, to whittle down any of their teachings, to obscure, however slightly, the radiance of their Revelations, to oust them from the hearts of their followers, to abrogate the fundamentals of their doctrines, to discard any of their revealed Books, or to suppress the legitimate aspirations of their adherents. Repudiating the claim of any religion to be the final revelation of God to man, disclaiming finality for His own Revelation, Bahá'u'lláh inculcates the basic principle of the relativity of religious truth, the continuity of Divine Revelation, the progressiveness of religious experience. His aim is to widen the basis of all revealed religions and to unravel the mysteries of their scriptures. He insists on the unqualified recognition of the unity of their purpose, restates the eternal verities they enshrine, coordinates their functions, distinguishes the essential and the authentic from the nonessential and spurious in their teachings, separates the God-given truths from the priest-prompted superstitions, and on this as a basis proclaims the possibility, and even prophecies the inevitability, of their unification, and the consummation of their highest hopes.”
--Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day is Come, p. 107
“A student of the modern methods of the higher criticism asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá if he would do well to continue in the church with which he had been associated all his life, and whose language was full of meaning to him. 'Abdu'l-Bahá answered: "You must not dissociate yourself from it. Know this; the Kingdom of God is not in any Society; some seekers go through many Societies as a traveller goes through many cities till he reach his destination. If you belong to a Society already do not forsake your brothers. You can be a Bahá'í-Christian, a Bahá'í-Freemason, a Bahá'í-Jew, a Bahá'í-Muhammadan. The number nine contains eight, and seven, and all the other numbers, and does not deny any of them. Do not distress or deny anyone by saying 'He is not a Bahá'í!' He will be known by his deeds. There are no secrets among Bahá'ís; a Bahá'í does not hide anything."
--Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 97
"I have never heard of Bahá'u'lláh," said a young man. I have only recently read about this movement, but I recognize the mission of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and desire to be a disciple. I have always believed in the brotherhood of man as the ultimate solvent of all our national and international difficulties."
"It makes no difference whether you have ever heard of Bahá'u'lláh or not," was the answer, "the man who lives the life according to the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh is already a Bahá'í. On the other hand a man may call himself a Bahá'í for fifty years and if he does not live the life he is not a Bahá'í.”
--Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 105
"[Abdu’l-Baha] bids us all be real and true in what we profess to believe; and to treasure above everything the Spirit behind the form."
--Professor Michael Sadler, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 34
"…it matters not what name each calls himself – The Great Work is One…Christ is ever in the world of existence. He has never disappeared out of it…Rest assured that Christ is present. The Spiritual beauty we see around us today is from the breathings of Christ."
--Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 41
"A Baha’i denies no religion; he accepts the Truth in all, and would die to uphold it. He loves all men as his brothers, of whatever class, of whatever race or nationality, of whatever creed or colour, whether good or bad, rich or poor, beautiful or hideous."
--Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 56
"Religions are like the branches of one Tree. One branch is high, one is low and one in the centre, yet all draw their life from the one stem. One branch bears fruit and others are not laden so abundantly. All the Prophets are lights, the only differ in degree…"
--Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 62-63
“The spirit and intelligence of man is essential, and that is the manifestation of divine virtues, the merciful bestowals of God, the eternal life and baptism through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, be it known that color or race is of no importance. He who is the image and likeness of God, who is the manifestation of the bestowals of God, is acceptable at the threshold of God -- whether his color be white, black or brown; it matters not. Man is not man simply because of bodily attributes. The standard of divine measure and judgment is his intelligence and spirit.
Therefore, let this be the only criterion and estimate, for this is the image and likeness of God. A man's heart may be pure and white though his outer skin be black; or his heart be dark and sinful though his racial color is white. The character and purity of the heart is of all importance. The heart illumined by the light of God is nearest and dearest to God, and inasmuch as God has endowed man with such favor that he is called the image of God, this is truly a supreme perfection of attainment, a divine station which is not to be sacrificed by the mere accident of color.”
--Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 70
