That’s why Solar Empire should win?

I personally think Celestia is a goddess, or at least a god-like entity. I don’t think the ponies worship her though, because from what little characterization we’ve seen, it appears that Celestia just wants to be treated like a regular pony, instead of some all-powerful princess goddess. As a long-lived ruler, she would understand the need for formality and such at times. But when an event is supposed to by casual and somepony coughTwilightcough makes it formal, Celestia seems a little…uncomfortable.
 
Back on topic, Celestia and Luna are certainly are significantly more powerful than regular ponies. Each can move both the Sun and the Moon on their own (well, at least Celestia can move both on her own. I’m just extrapolating for Luna). Such can be done by regular unicorns, as seen in the pagent in “Hearth’s Warming Eve,” but it takes an entire team, or possibly an entire kingdom, to perform the same feat.  
There are also possible ancient mythology references that link the sun and moon to deities, or deity-grade entities. Also the alicorn sisters have traits of all three pony races, allowing them to embody the virtue valued most in Equestria since its unification: Harmony between the races.  
And as nyxabuse mentions, Celestia’s name is used in similar context to a god-figure. Though, as I mentioned above, there probably is no current religion that worships the princesses, the phrases could be hold overs from an ancient religion, maybe dating back as far as the first Lunar Rebellion.
 
Sorry if I rambled a bit there, or forgot something. My brain likes tangents.

It only became “new” when the Elder “God” decided it was a good idea to usurp the control of the younger one by imprisoning her on the Moon. Thereby becoming the “omnibenevolent” Goddess that all Equestioans know (and love?), today!

professor_of_hoers: There’s also the fact that if you look up myths from other cultures (particularly Shinto) you’ll find gods that are very weak as well.
 
Well, the theology behind Shinto is kinda non-existent in the first place. What a god is in Shinto was admittedly vague: a god could’ve been human, non-human, animal, rock, all-powerful or insignificant. It was a fairly arbitrary label.
 
In fact, Shinto itself was also a pretty barebones religion that relied on Buddhism to complement it. (It didn’t deal with death, only life – there were weddings, but no funerals.)
 
But I guess my point is that the label of a god was especially cheap in Shinto, and as I recall, not even as well-defined as any Greek myth.

This is very true. There is one other world I can think of that has a living, sentient, has limits goddess who rules persoanlly and kindly over the Earth. Princess Emeraulde of the world Cephiro, from Magical Knights Rayearth.
 

 
She summoned alpha Fluttershy, Twilight and Rarity to become the most powerful of magical knights.
 

With Celestia as my witness…  
they’re sort-of treated as gods by the ponies  
but not really

It’s a kids show. High quality and non-typical, sure, but a kid’s show.
 
Some things just are, they aren’t “this” or “that”, they simply are.
 
Remember Pinkie-sense.

Ya my own head cannon is that; Luna and Tia were the previous element bearers that got mutated or changed by its power and their powers and longevity are a result of contact with the elements. But with new bearers they are just immortal and powerful super ponies but still ponies.

Theological progress?

The MST3k Mantra: “It’s just a show, you should really just relax.”

every immensely powerful being is not a god, they could just be immensely powerful  
but that doesn’t matter because the only way we could actually prove you wrong is if Celestia/Luna died (even though that wouldn’t prove a thing since gods can apparently die) and that isn’t going to happen  
I can see them just as powerful ponies or spirits (like discord is the spirit of chaos)

My own view of Celestia is that she is not immortal, despite her longevity. Even if she lives as long as the sun, the sun will eventually go out.
 
But as to the title of god, I feel like that title has been cheapened by books, comics, and movies. Villains claim to be gods as a sign of their delusion. Heroes are sometimes hailed as gods, but are quick to deny that and point out their limitations.
 
So I hesitate to refer to Celestia as a god. I’d rather focus on her sense of humor, her love of cake, and all the qualities that link her to her subjects.

@Background Pony
 
Yeah, that is true. To debate things in a certain context you have to define in exact terms what your qualifiers are. I can’t really disagree.
 
I do think, however, it was just the intent of the OP to say that gods need not be all powerful to be considered as such.

Would I be a fool if I claimed that, in a sense, we are all gods in that we have potential to give and take life?

Professor of Hoers, in regards to the Spirits of the Elements of Harmony, I am referring to Twilight Sparkle and friends. “The Spirits of the Elements of Harmony, are right here!”
 
A metaphysical concept is considered the most powerful magic in Equestria. Beyond that, the author of this caption is trying to conflate concepts together that really doesn’t add any useful distinction to the discourse.
 
If you say “The qualifiers for godhood that you are familiar with don’t apply, therefore Celestia and Luna are gods,” without providing your own rubric for qualification then I can say, “That rock in the background of frame 3 is also a god.”

Hm, they’ve seemed to avoid any mention of worship so far. The ponies obviously see them as higher beings, and immortality combined with the ability to control the heavens seems pretty godly-like to me…
 
Of course, it could be that the ponies use them to explain what they don’t understand and the Royal Sisters use that to their advantage to remain on the throne forever. But who knows?

I could quote Shakespeare’s “What a piece of work is a man” to say that ponies could be very much like the gods that inspire them but I think a lot of this discussion hinges on exactly what we consider to be “gods” in our eyes.

True.
 
I think it would be fair to say the sisters are “godlike”. Right around the level of demigods, I think.

By that same logic, you could argue that any average pony is a god, as they control the weather, make the plants grow, and guide the lives of all the creatures within their realm.

>god
 
lolnope

@BGP
 
Ann odd way of seeing things. There are many myths or stories in which Gods can be defeated, evaded, or aided by holy items or relics. Even Zeus’ thunderbolts were crafted for him in Greek mythology. The elements of Harmony could also be seen as divine instruments that are used by Gods based upon some archaic principle like Titans. After all, it’s a common trait in myth to have more fearsome and primal beings such as titans being usurped or coexisting with more orderly gods.
 
There’s also the fact that if you look up myths from other cultures (particularly Shinto) you’ll find gods that are very weak as well.

Agreed. Immortality =/= godhood. Then again, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…

If 550-330 BCE is relatively new for you, I would like to know what is old.
 
In order to qualify as a god in a polytheistic world, the Princesses would have to characters of the highest order of supernatural beings, spirits, demons or ancestors.
 
However, The Elements of Harmony, including the Spirits of The Elements of Harmony, are more powerful than the princesses. Therefore, they are not gods.

@BP1  
New Biblical headcanon.

Well back then the Gods were fabricated to be the answer all of their flaws and problems that plagued them. But somehow even they managed to screw that up.