of self-identification. A statement on the website Humanistic Rabbis says that Humanistic Jews believe "[that] Jewish identity is primarily a cultural and ethnic identity, [that] belief systems are too diverse among Jews to serve as criteria for membership, [that] joining the Jewish community is a process of cultural identification, [and that] a person who seeks to embrace Jewish identity should be encouraged to do so and should be assisted in this endeavor". Both Jews and non-Jews, as well as members of the LGBTQIA community, are able to participate in all Humanistic Jewish rituals and undertake leadership roles in any capacity. Humanistic Jewish rabbis and other leaders officiate at marriages between Jews and non-Jews and (unlike Conservative and Orthodox Jews) do not take any position on interfaith marriage, stating, "Intermarriage is an American Jewish reality—a natural consequence of a liberal society in which individuals have the freedom to marry whomever they wish... that intermarriage is neither good nor bad, just as we believe that the marriage of two Jews, in itself, is neither good nor bad. The moral worth of a marriage always depends on the quality of the human relationship—on the degree of mutual love and respect that prevails." Secular humanistic rabbis and leaders can also co-officiate at these marriages. These views on Jewish identity and intermarriage are criticized by those who believe that they will hasten the assimilation of Jews into general society and thus adversely affect Jewish continuity. The traditional Jewish infant circumcision brit milah is not performed in Humanistic Judaism, instead being replaced by the more modern baby-naming ceremony brit shalom. Humanistic Judaism ordains both men and women as rabbis, and its first female rabbi Tamara Kolton was ordained in 1999. Its first cantor was also a woman, Deborah Davis, who was ordained in 2001. Humanistic Judaism has since stopped ordaining cantors. Abortion Humanistic Judaism takes a pro-choice stance on the issue of abortion. A statement issued by the SHJ in 1996 said, "We affirm that a woman has the moral right and should have the continuing legal right to decide whether or not to terminate a pregnancy in accordance with her own ethical standards. Because a decision to terminate a pregnancy carries serious, irreversible consequences, it is one to be made with great care and with keen awareness of the complex psychological, emotional, and ethical implications." The SHJ issued a statement in 2011 condemning the passage