The reason is that in their case good cannot be linked to its corresponding truth; for the wife is the good of her husband's truth, and he is the truth of his wife's good, as was shown above. As a result it is impossible for their two souls to become one. This shuts off the source from which that love flows; and when this happens, they are reduced to the state of marriage below this. This is between good and a truth other than its own, or between truth and a form of good other than its own, so that no harmonious love can exist between them. As a result coldness begins to affect the partner whose religious belief is false, and this becomes more intense as the breach with the other develops.

I was once wandering through the streets of a large city to look for somewhere to live, and I went into a house, where there lived a couple who were of different religions. Then, though I knew nothing of this, angels spoke to me and said, 'We cannot stay with you in that house, because the couple there are not in agreement on religion.' They could tell this from the lack of inward unity between their souls.