8998. 'He shall have no power to sell her to a foreign people' means that it must not pass to those who are not of the Church's faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'the foreigner' as those outside the Church, thus those who are not of the Church's faith, dealt with in 2049, 2115, 7996; and from the meaning of 'selling' as alienating, dealt with immediately above in 8997. The implications of this are that those born within the Church and imbued since early childhood with the fundamental truths taught by the Church ought not to enter into marriages with those who are outside the Church and have therefore been imbued with ideas such as are not the Church's. The reason why is that they are in no way joined to one another in the spiritual world; for in that world everyone's association with others is determined by his good and from this by his truth. And since such are in no way joined together in the spiritual world, they ought not to be on earth; for essentially a marriage consists of one human mind and inclination joined to another's, which derive spiritual life from the truths and forms of the good of faith and charity. Therefore also in heaven marriages on earth between people of different religions are thought to be detestable, and especially those between members of the Church and people outside the Church. This also was the reason why the Jewish and Israelite nation was forbidden to contract marriages with the nations [in Canaan], Deut 7:3, 4, and why fornicating with them was utterly detestable, Num 25:1-9.