African Tradional Religion vs. Christianity

Well nothing new really going on here in Mzuzu. Jarrod is still working very hard building cabinets for the new bathroom in the guest house. I have been busy sewing and uploading pictures. I figured I would write today to educate all of you on some African Traditional Religion.
Since we have been here I have been very interested in the mixing between Christians and ATR. How some can follow both when most of the time the ATR doesn’t follow Christian beliefs at all. The big argument I have is the understanding that having more then one wife is acceptable. People that will call themselves Christians will take 2,3 even 4 wives and still go to church on Sunday, hear the gospel and not feel convicted of such a thing. To most having more then one wife and many many children with each shows what a man you are. That is also why AIDS spreads so fast, if you are not spreading your seed then you are thought to be less of a man so AIDS or not men feel required to impregnate women to show there wealth, power and manliness.
Now if you would like to read on, I would ask that the younger folks turn there eyes…it gets a little risqué.
Once a young girl reaches puberty, when she gets her first period, she is sent off to learn how to be a proper wife. One of the elders, a man, of the village will take her away and teach her. She will learn how to perform dry sex, no pleasure for a women at all, they will salt themselves, this causes them to swell and makes it more enjoyable for the man. The problem with this is that she can swell so much that the man will tare her vaginal walls and she can form infections and it makes her more susceptible to AIDS. During the time of learning the elder, a 20,30 even 40 year old man will teach the girls this by having sex with them. If the girl happens to fall pregnant (which happens a lot) the elder is not responsible for the baby, he was just doing his job. Now in this case the girl will go home pregnant and if she chooses to keep the baby will now be unfit to marry and her child will be considered and orphan (only one parent). So the family will take her away before the baby comes to stay with family elsewhere in a village that no one knows her to give birth the that child. She will then come home with the baby and her mother with take it as her own. I asked, aren’t the people smart enough to know that the girls mother didn’t have the baby? And the answer I received was well yes but it is just a little secret that people know but don’t talk about. Now the girl is not considered un-pure and is able to wed.
Now this is Chewa ATR there are other practices for both the Angoni and Yao Tribes. I am still learning about these two but from my little understanding they are almost the same.
I think that might be enough for all of you today. If you have questions I can most likely get the answers for you. The ATR vs. Christianity has really sparked my interest and I just wanted to share with you a little of the cultural differences that Jarrod and I have been learning about on of journey here in Malawi.