Driving a Lexus, wearing diamonds, dressed in chanel, paying with food stamps = not chillul hashem?!
Never saw that and im not on food stamps thank god. I drive a honda, work for a living, i do confess that I own a bottle of chanel cologne - think it was a gift from someone. Jealous? Of what? I have an 2 AMEX for myself and 1 for my business and my wife has two. I can add 99 AUs like everyone else but I dont think its the right thing to do. AMEX did not have in mind to give anybody 9,000 worth of free spending. To argue that they did is foolishness. So your taking advantage of a system and as a frum jew thats a chillul hashem.
Now is it illegal? I don't know - it may be or it maybe not. I don't know if you can get arrested for it, but I imagine if AMEX decides to take back your credit there is nothing you can do about it. However the fact whether it is illegal or not doe sit play into my argument. I'm saying walking in with 100's of cards is not what this was intended for, you found a loophole and are exploiting it and someone elses expense. Now you might say AMEX is not a person but a goyishe corporation and I am a frum jew and will give maiser on it. Thats your cheshben, and prob similar to the satmar chassidim cheshben who were arrested last week.
In addition, I don't know how you can argue on what is a chillul hashem or not. Chillul hashem is a subjective thing, there is no black line standard for it. If i see a frum yid swiping 100s of amex cards that will in my eyes and im sure plenty like me be a chillul hashem. On that same point if a low level exec at AMEX gets a whif of whats going on in the frum community that will also be a chillul hashem.
Lastly, there are arguments out there that this is not a frum thing - that people throughout the blogosphere are taking advantage of this. To that I answer on two points. First with the classic bec everyone is doing it does that make it right? But I think your point there was not that its right but rather
even though its wrong and can cause a chillul hashem everyone is doing so they wont trace it back to the frum world and therefore it wont be a chillul hashem. This brings me to my second point, while its true this will be taken advantage of by a large group of people, I am confident in saying that the largest contingency of people taking advantage in close proximity will be in the frum communities. I'm talking about flatbush, monsey, lakewood. queens ect. And more then that, how many people on FT so you think frequent the same store prob 0 maybe two. Now imagine a place like Tuvias or a grocery in lakewood the amount of credits will be staggering. To think for one second that they will not take a second look and see what "Tuvias Judicia" or "Lakewood glatt kosher" does and who it caters too is foolish.