The 21-second video offered an exchange unthinkable for a candidate trying to court evangelical voters as he seeks to consolidate support among the Republican establishment: Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) dismissing the Bible. Naturally, after it was posted on a conservative website, it was shared by Sen. Ted Cruz’s campaign on the Facebook page of his spokesman Rick Tyler.

In the video, Rubio confidently strolls into a hotel lobby past Rafael Cruz — the father of the senator from Texas — and a man identified as a Cruz staffer reading a book. But not just any book: the Good one. At first, Rubio seemed to appreciate the choice....

“Yes, sir,” the staffer replied. Even those on different sides of a primary could agree on the Bible’s quality, it appeared. But then, the conversation took a strange turn as Rubio seemed to channel the spirit of Christopher Hitchens.

“Not many answers in it,” Rubio said. “Especially that one.” Then, having dropped this anti-Scripture bomb on what looked like a Christian continental breakfast, Rubio split.